Illusions of Life
by UnholyDragoon
Summary: Hints at a T/R. Chapter 5 re-uploaded. Though one adventure ends, another is only begining [Finished]
1. Chapter, The First

First off, I'd like to begin by saying that TENCHI MUYO! (All characters, places, situations, etc.) Is the property of PIONEER / AIC.  I don't own any of the Tenchi characters, since I can't write at all this is a good thing.  However, Victor is my creation.  If you like them and want to use him, let me know, and we shall see. If any of the situations are similar to ANYTHING written before...  Then phooey on you, and I am sorry if it seems I am ripping anyone's story off.  It's not intentional!!!  This story was written for pure amusement and enjoyment. Oh, and I am getting help on this story (without which, it would be just horrid!!) by one Mr. Mayhem.  On with the mutilating hack that is my story ^_^

Illusions of Life: Sins of the Past 

**_ Chapter, the first_**

            There comes a time in a man's life when decisions, no matter how painful, have to be made.  Luckily for one particularly hapless young man, his time to decide had yet to arrive.  If it had, then he wouldn't be sleeping so blissfully while the shadowy form of a woman hovered mere inches above his bed, golden eyes glowing slightly in the dawn's dim light.

            When the muted sounds of birds, trying vainly to chirp louder than the falling rain, invaded his unconscious mind Tenchi could no longer maintain the tranquility of oblivion.  Instead, behind eyes tightly closed against the morning light, he prepared himself for the morning of yet another day in a life that no sane person would have ever considered normal.  With a tired and well- practiced sigh, he opened his eyes to the sights that the day would bring.

            And promptly began screaming.

            "Aaugh!!!!!!!!!"  The strangled cry tore from the semi-conscious Tenchi's mouth, as his eyes opened to the sight of red-rimmed, blurry golden orbs mere inches from his own.  With reflexes he normally reserved for the heat of battle and his grandfathers training sessions, Tenchi propelled himself across the floor in a tight, fast roll that left him standing near his closet door, his posture wary.

            Your normal every-day teenage male would have found the thought of a beautiful, affectionate, utterly charming, young woman in his bedroom first thing in the morning to be a great thing.  Indeed, maybe even a blessing from the gods themselves.  And yet Tenchi could not bring himself, could not even _allow_ him self to think like that. It would tip the scales of his mind much too far off balance.  Tipping his mind to the point that he'd begin to doubt his own sanity. 

            Staring at Tenchi, Ryoko saw the look on his face.  It hurt more than almost any other reaction she could have thought of.  Flustered and upset Ryoko looked sheepishly down at her hands.  She couldn't understand what had made Tenchi react like that.  For Tsunami's sake, she had even worn _clothes_ this time! She knew she was beautiful.  Hell, she knew she could turn the head of almost any man just by walking into the room!!  So why, every night, did she do nothing but wait for him to wake up?  Why not just wake him and show him the things he was missing by being asleep?  

            However, despite those thoughts, Ryoko already knew the answer to that question.  She watched him sleep simply because of the _way_ he slept.  She knew, she just knew, that she had to watch Tenchi at night. The peace she gained by watching his calm, unflustered features in the moonlight was unattainable when she herself rested.  It soothed her tortured soul to see him like that.  Even if she couldn't sleep, her inner demons throwing her past at her, tormenting her, it helped her to know that her beloved could rest.  Ryoko liked to think that her staying beside Tenchi each night helped to keep his own demons away, whatever they might have been.  

            The look she saw in Tenchi's eyes that morning made her heart contract painfully within her chest.  Even from across the room Ryoko could recognize the fear in their deep brown depths.  He was afraid of the demon in front of him, he was afraid of _her_.  _Can't he see that I do this only because I love him?  Why can't he see_?!?   And with a choked, heartrending sob, Ryoko fell to the bed and began to cry. 

            As Ryoko sank to the bed in front of him curling into an anguished ball, Tenchi mentally kicked himself for over-reacting.  The intense feelings of guilt and self-hatred that welled up within him twisted his gut into knots.  What about the sight of Ryoko when he woke up made him react the way he did?  She had been doing this ever since the Kagoto incident.  Heavens above, she didn't even have a room of her own, just the rafters.  The room that had been built for her, in the wing with Kiyone and Mihoshi's rooms (Noboyuki had added some to his house, thanks to the ever expanding list of "houseguests"), was now Mayuka's.  After the girl had been reborn, thanks to Washu, she had given it up, claiming that she preferred the rafters anyway.  Even if Ryoko spent almost all of her time there, she still appeared over him every morning and scared the hell out of him.

            Tenchi was beside the bed before he even realized what he was doing.  Sitting on it's edge, he slipped an arm around her, gathering her sobbing form to him.  He sighed, knowing that even if he never got completely used to it, that he would probably miss it if she didn't show up in his room every morning.  The thought shook him, had he really just thought that?  he shook his head to clear it, he couldn't have.  Gazing down at the sobbing girl in his arms, 

Tenchi opened his mouth to speak.

            "It's alright, Ryoko."  He reassured, stroking her cyan hair.  "It's alright, I'm sorry I overreacted like that.  I guess grandfather's training makes me a little jumpy now and then..." At that, Ryoko looked up and pushed herself out of his arms, a frightened look in her eyes.  Seeing the look on her face, Tenchi groaned inwardly, realizing he had said something colossally stupid.

            "Is that how think of me Tenchi?" she asked, her voice quiet and shaking slightly.  " Do you think of me as an enemy Tenchi?  Why?  All I've ever done is try and show you how good we are together..." As Ryoko said this, a steely edge crept into her voice.  "If I'm just an enemy in your eyes, then maybe I oughta just take Ryo-Ohki and leave!!!"

            Tenchi tensed, unsure of the seriousness of her words.  After a moment of hesitation he replied, his voice sheepish.  "That's not what I meant and you know it Ryoko.  I don't want you to leave, you know that..."     

            Ryoko brightened considerably when Tenchi said that.  All of her anger seemed to disappear instantly.  Glomping onto him in her normal manner, she nuzzled her face against his shoulder, pressing herself against him rather seductively.  She felt Tenchi tense up, but ignored it, telling herself he was just caught up in the moment.

            "I am so glad that you want me to stay with you Tenchi!!"  She enthused.  "I know," she purred, "let's make this bed OUR bed!!" and with that Ryoko pushed him down onto the bed, pulling the covers over them.

            Tenchi began a life and death struggle with Ryoko.  She was difficult to fend off on any occasion, but when he was attempting to remain in his clothes, the conflict escalated far beyond what he considered a manageable situation.  Suddenly, so suddenly that Tenchi hit the floor with a solid thump, he found himself flinging out of the bed and out of her grasp.

            Tenchi was confused.  What would make Ryoko stop?  Especially when she had nearly disrobed him completely, he noted, turning bright red.  He was forced to wipe a trickle of blood from beneath his nose when he noticed that she was wearing even less than he was.

            Perched on the bed, Ryoko had a sad, heartbroken look in her eyes.  She just couldn't understand why he had to be this way.  Any other man (although, despite what Ayeka would insinuate, there had never been any other men) would have submitted to her "good graces" long ago.  Could it be that he truly didn't have feelings for her?  Maybe, just maybe, had one of the other girls had already claimed his heart?  No, it couldn't be!!  She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will away the tears that threatened to spill out at the thought.

            "Tenchi..." The name escaped from her lips as a quiet sob.  Etched on her face Tenchi saw of despair, her golden eyes clearly reflecting just how deeply she cared for him.  And deep within his chest, he felt his heart stir in response.  "Why..." She begged, her voice quiet and desolate.  As the plea slipped from her lips, Tenchi fought everything within him that told him to take her in his arms and tell her anything she wanted to hear.  He wanted to do anything to remove that look from her eyes.

            "Why?"  She asked again, the question coming out more as a sob then an actual world.

            _No, I can't do this.  There are too many other hearts at stake here_.  Tenchi waged a heated battle in his mind in the space of a heartbeat.  _But if I don't do something I'll lose her as surely as if I had chosen one of the other girls.  I have to do something, but what?  I don't want her to go, I need her in my life.  Wait a minute.  Did I just think that?_  He saw Ryoko bow her head in defeat.  _I have to do something now.  Think, Tenchi, Think_! 

            Tenchi looked over at the sobbing Demon and sighed.  Whatever happened, he couldn't let her go, not her.  Why, he couldn't, or wouldn't, say.

            "Ryoko, I...I just can't.  There are so many others to consider.  I care about you, but I also care about the other girls.  I just don't know what to do anymore, Ryoko..."Tenchi then hung his head in shame and defeat.

            The faint sound of crying coming from down the hall interrupted the emotionally charged atmosphere.  Ryoko looked up, first at Tenchi, then in the direction of the crying child.  She shook her head and rose, her face blank.

            Ryoko turned to the bowed figure before her.  "I have to go see why your daughter is crying, Tenchi."  She informed him, her voice flat... dead.  And with that, she phased out of his room.

            Tenchi had looked up just in time to see the pain hiding in the depths in her eyes before she faded from his vision.  Sighing, he woodenly started leaning his room.  After cleaning and making his bed, he went to his closet to get some clothes for the bath.  As he moved to the closet, something on top of his dresser caught his eye.

            Looking at the top of the dresser, his eyes scanned the pictures collected on top of it.  One of him as a young boy, strapped to his mother's back in front of the cave.  He seemed to be staring intently at the cave even as his mother was looking at the camera and smiling.  

            The next picture was of Tenchi and Noboyuki at Christmas, probably when he was 10 or 11.  This day was one of the few times that his father had been home from work for more than one day, and they had truly enjoyed that Christmas.  

            The rest of the pictures were more recent.  A picture of Tenchi and Ryoko, sitting in a cherry tree along the path to the shrine; one of Ayeka as she was tending the garden; one of Mihoshi and Kiyone posing in front of the Yagami; a picture of Sasami and a toddler Ryo-Ohki preparing a meal, probably lunch; a Picture of Washu, her hand in a "V" for victory, after completing the doorway to her subspace lab.  

            The next picture was of Ryoko holding Mayuka as she rocked the baby to sleep.  The photo brought a smile to his face.  Apparently Ryoko had not noticed the picture, and neither had Ayeka, for that matter.  It was one of the few times that Tenchi had caught the so-called demon with her guard completely down, her mask of bravado discarded.  She'd had a smile, a gentle, caring smile, on her face as she looked down at the tiny child in her arms.  Stumbling onto the scene, Tenchi had quickly run and grabbed the camera to snap the photo.  Amazingly enough he'd managed to sneak back to his room without getting caught.  If Ryoko had found out about the picture, she would probably have thrown a fit, but it was the best picture he had of her.  Smiling slightly, her turned his gaze to the final photo.

            It was the largest photo of the group, and it was among his favorites.  He remembered that day well.  He had finally completed high school, graduating with honors.  (Mostly thanks to Kiyone's tutoring; Washu had a bad habit of over-complicating her "simple" explanations.)  The entire group had come to watch his graduation ceremony.  With the entire group posing together, his old friend Amagasaki had taken the picture.  Standing in the center of the gang, in a black graduation gown, was Tenchi.  On either side of him were Ryoko and Ayeka, Ryoko wearing Tenchi's graduation cap lopsidedly on her head.  Washu stood in front of her daughter, Kiyone right next to her.  Next to Ayeka was Mihoshi (who looked as if she were about to fall _into_ Ayeka), with Sasami standing before her.  Noboyuki and Katsuhito stood side by side, behind Tenchi, and Ryo-Ohki, in toddler form, stood right in front of Tenchi, smiling and giggling.  Ryoko, Kiyone, Washu, Ryo-Ohki, and Sasami all had a hand out in the "V" for victory.

            Tenchi paused when he saw the pictures.  Sighing, Tenchi turned the memories over in his mind.  _So many memories,_ He thought wistfully.  For all the stress all of these lovely, if alien, women brought to his life, he wouldn't trade any of it for a normal life.  For better or worse, they had changed his life, and changed him.  Imagining life without any of them, especially Ryoko and Mayuka, was just not possible.

            With a grunt and a cry, Tenchi slammed his fist into the wall, leaving an indention the shape of his clenched fist.  _Why is this so difficult?_  He screamed in his mind.  _Why can't I just love them all equally?!?!?_   With another sigh, Tenchi grabbed his clothes and made his way to the door.

            Opening the door, he saw most of the residents of his house peering out of their rooms, sleepiness and concern apparent on each face.  Not looking at any of them, Tenchi stalked down the hall and then downstairs, toward the Onsen.  The only ones that did not see him were those that had already been up and about, or in Washu's case, in a different area of the house. 

-----------------------

            Ryoko, meanwhile, had already phased into Mayuka's room, and plucked the child from her floating crib.  She looked down at the bawling child, and sighed.  Leaning Mayuka into her shoulder, Ryoko made her way over to the changing table.  Setting the baby down gently, she proceeded to change her, tossing the diaper cover and her sleeping outfit in the dimensional hamper that lead to the laundry room.  

            Washu had been making her way to Mayuka's room after she had heard the mental sigh from Ryoko.  Knowing full well that the sigh was not directed solely towards the baby, she slipped quietly into the infant's room.  She stood in the doorway and marveled at how natural her daughter looked caring for Mayuka.  With a grin, Washu closed the door silently behind her and opened her mouth to speak.

            "Aww, how sweet.  My little Ryoko is such a good mommy, isn't she Noodles."  Washu said, looking at the smile on Mayuka's face.  Washu prepared to make good her escape if Ryoko decided to make a quick attempt on her life for the comment.

            Looking up at hearing her mother's voice, Ryoko tensed, grimacing for a moment at the "Little Ryoko" comment.  Then she sighed and a wistful look settled across her face.

            "Do you think I'd be a good mother, Washu?"  

            Washu was shocked into silence by the question, but her heart skipped a beat because of what Ryoko said next.

            "I really want to have a child of my own one day.  I really hope Tenchi will look at me that kinda way soon Mom", Ryoko said.  Her expression was far away and dreamy.  

            Sighing, she finished cleaning Mayuka off, and picked Mayuka up. Grabbing an extra diaper and a change of clothes, both for herself and for the baby, Ryoko promptly willed herself and the giggling infant to the floating onsen.

            Washu stood there, physically and mentally attempting to regain her composure.  Ryoko had called her Mom.  Her *daughter* had called her Mom!  This was one of the few times that Washu could ever remember Ryoko willingly calling her mother.  Thinking quickly, she was startled to realize this finally brought the non - joking total to six. She finally could count it on more than one hand!!!  

            Shocking the rest of the house, an ecstatic Washu hopped and skipped down the hallway and downstairs toward the kitchen.

------------------------

            Ayeka, seeing the pain and frustration on Tenchi's face as he stomped by, she assumed that Ryoko must have been hovering over him again.  

            _Really, I cannot believe that monster woman.  Why can't she just leave my Lord Tenchi alone in the morning? _ She thought to herself.

            Ayeka sighed, somewhat angrily, and began to dress.  She would just have to have words with Ryoko during breakfast.  Smiling wickedly, Ayeka made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

            The kitchen was one of the most advanced, well furnished kitchens in the galaxy, though the purpose of a few things in it were a mystery to everyone but Washu.  Well, when you have the greatest scientific mind in the universe "touch up" the kitchen because she was bored, you know it is going to be fantastic.  In front of the sink, wearing a frilly yellow apron stood a young girl with two long, blue ponytails arching like falling water from her head.  She was deep into the process of making a morning meal of gargantuan proportions, since many of the houseguests had appetites that rivaled that of most small armies.

            Sasami hummed merrily to herself as she cooked.  Even though it was still raining out, she was in an exceptionally good mood.  Tsunami had shown her some very beautiful places and people while she slept, and she was glad to know that her "grown-up" half was so nice and happy.  As such, Sasami barely even registered the loud crash when Tenchi nearly broke through the wall of his room.  

            Chalking up the noise of Tenchi's outburst to the normal chaos of the house, Sasami kept humming cheerily, anticipating everyone's reaction to the meal.  Sasami was so glad she had such a good group of friends.  Really they were more like family, with father Noboyuki, and grandfather Katsuhito, and cousin Tenchi, and sister Ayeka.  Everyone else, Kiyone and Mihoshi and Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki and Washu, they were all family too.  And every morning, instead of giving them a big hug, she would get up early and cook them an extra special breakfast.  It was a good life, she thought, as she stirred the soup. 

            Sasami turned when she heard the front door open.  Looking up, her smile widened to epic proportions when she saw who had come in to the Masaki household.

            "Grandfather!!  I'm so glad your here!  You're just in time for breakfast.  What brings you to the house?" Sasami said all of this as she leapt into the old man's arms, hugging him happily.

            Katsuhito just smiled and lifted the young, spirited girl into his arms so he could return the hug.  Chuckling with genuine mirth, he set his youngest sister down.

            "Is there anything I can do to help prepare breakfast today Sasami?  I was going to give Tenchi an early lesson today, but I might as well start with one of your delicious breakfasts."  Katsuhito smiled down at the blue-haired princess and pushed his glasses back into place on his nose.

            _More and more, she is beginning to look like Tsunami,_ Katsuhito thought to himself.  _I wonder when they will assimilate into one being; will Tsunami still be as kind as Sasami is now?  Or will her duties as a Goddess reign in that youthful exuberance?  I hope not, that would be the greatest of tragedies_.

            The rest of the household descended the stairs as the smells of Sasami's excellent cooking set all of their mouths to watering.  First down was Ayeka, walking calmly and stately.  She stood, waiting for the rest to arrive.

            Next down was the duo of Space Detectives, Kiyone and Mihoshi.  Mihoshi shot down the stairs as if fired from a cannon.  Skidding slightly, she pounced down at her spot at the table, looking around with wide eyes.  Sighing, her tone exasperated, Kiyone sat next to her partner, albeit with much better grace and decorum.

            Trudging down the stairs shortly after the two GP officers the slightly stooped form of Noboyuki appeared, yawning loudly.  Since this was one of the rare days he didn't have to be at the office, he was dressed in a much more relaxed fashion (i.e., without the tie ^_^).  He set himself down with a thud next to Katsuhito.

            Finally, practically dancing for joy, Washu entered the room and took her place in between Kiyone and Noboyuki.  Everyone looked at her oddly as she continued to giggle like a schoolgirl every few seconds.  Realizing what she was doing, she blushed slightly, and then met everyone's gaze with an innocent expression.  "What!?!?!" she asked in such an accusatory voice that everyone looked away and became **_very_** interested in something, anything, else.

**************

            Relaxing in the warm waters of the Onsen, Tenchi closed his eyes as the warm waters started to melt the tension from his muscles.  He sighed aloud as he thought about how his morning had started.  There were so many things he could have done differently, could have done better.  Instead, he had reacted the way he usually did, and had hurt Ryoko's feelings, badly.

            _Why am I such an idiot?_  Tenchi berated himself silently.  _I really ought to be used to Ryoko doing that by now, but no.  Instead of just asking her to move, and let me up, I had to go and freak out.  What is wrong with me? _ With another loud sigh Tenchi hung his head in defeat.  

            It was probably a good thing that he did, because at that exact moment, Ryoko phased into existence about 20 feet in front of him, a happy Mayuka cradled in her arms.  The little baby giggled as Ryoko settled into the warm waters, Mayuka nestled comfortably against her chest.  As she settled into the water, Ryoko sighed tiredly, alerting Tenchi to her presence.

            Hearing the depressed sigh directly ahead of him, Tenchi reflexively started to look up to see who was so upset.  His brain didn't kick in until after he had lifted his head, reminding him that the sigh was female, and exactly who could possibly enter the Onsen without opening the door.  Putting one and one together, he realized just a second to late precisely who would be sitting in front of him.  As his eyes settled on the form in front of him, he realized in horror that the only towels were next to the door, nearly _twenty_ feet away!!!!!!

            _Kami Sama_…Tenchi thought, as blood began to trickle from his nose and a sweat drop the size of a soccer ball appeared on his head.  Tearing his eyes away, Tenchi spun around, blushing madly, and attempted to maintain both his composure and his consciousness.  _How am I gonna get out of this one?  She's between me and the door!!_

            By this time Ryoko had caught his familiar scent, and had realized that Tenchi was in there with her.  Judging by the swift movement, and the sound of dripping water, Ryoko guessed that he had seen her.  She considered for a moment teasing the object of her affections, maybe even coming on to him, but then remembered Mayuka.  Sighing, she floated over and got herself a towel, then seated herself back in the waters of the Onsen.  Mayuka began crying, just a tiny bit, when she was removed from the warmth of the hot spring.

            "Aww, it's ok Mayuka.  Shhhhhhh, don't cry little one.  Mommy Ryoko's gonna keep you warm and safe".  Indeed, the soothing words and warm waters had already calmed the blue haired infant.  Glancing in Tenchi's direction, she saw that he was beet red and trying to make his way, to the door without looking at her.  With a snort, Ryoko moved away from the door to the opposite side of the pool and turned from Tenchi and the door.

            Not wanting to torture him any more, she spoke.  "It's safe, Tenchi.  I have a towel on, so you're more than welcome to stay.  We'd like that, wouldn't we, eh Noodles?"  Mayuka giggled as Ryoko tickled her stomach.  

            Tenchi had immediately sprinted to the door and grabbed a towel, and was almost gone when he heard the last comment Ryoko made.  He slowly turned to her.

            "Ryoko, you know I'm not supposed to be in here when one of you girls is in here."  He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

            Ryoko looked up, a playful gleam in her eye.  "It's ok, Tenchi.  I don't mind, and nobody else is here.."  She smiled a little, noticing that he didn't tense up when she offered the invitation again.  Seeing that Tenchi was still hesitant though, she tried a different tack.  "You don't spend enough time with Mayuka anyway, Tenchi."  She got a small bit of satisfaction seeing that remark hit home.

            With a grimace, Tenchi realized she was right.  He didn't spend enough time with his daughter, or with the group as a whole, since he had to tend the fields.  Besides, Ryoko had a towel on, and she wasn't attempting to seduce him.  He was certain even Ryoko wouldn't try that with the baby here, so Tenchi relaxed a little and got back into the water.  Slowly, he made his way over to Ryoko and Mayuka.

            As Tenchi made his way over, Ryoko's smile got even wider than it had been before.  She hadn't thought that he would actually stay, but now that he was she was ecstatic.  As the young prince got closer, the space pirate realized that he was watching her carefully, on guard if she tried anything.  Even if she WAS tempted to try something, she decided it would be better if Tenchi actually stayed for once.  

Maybe she could convince him to take a bath with just her... later.  She purred at the thought.

            When Tenchi reached Ryoko and Mayuka, he grinned down at his daughter.  It had been a while since he had seen her.  She was a beautiful child, and he looked forward to watching her grow up.  She was spirited, even this young.  He glanced at Ryoko, and realized that anyone walking in might have mistaken the three of them for a family.  Well, anyone not from his little group that is.

---------------------------

            Ayeka tapped her foot impatiently as she stood next to the kitchen door.  She could not understand what was taking Lord Tenchi so long to arrive for breakfast.  For that matter, she couldn't understand why Mayuka and that demon-woman weren't here either.  After hearing the cry of the baby in the morning, she knew that the first two to reach Mayuka's bedroom would be Washu and Ryoko.  Since Washu was here, Ayeka decided she would just ask the diminutive scientist.

            "Excuse me, Miss Washu...." Ayeka began, but she immediately corrected herself at the glare from the red-haired woman, "um, **_Little_** Washu, could you please tell me where baby Mayuka is?  Ryoko and she should have been down for breakfast ten minutes ago."

            Washu considered the question for a moment, then replied with a grin, "I think Ryoko and Mayuka went to the Onsen to bathe before breakfast, Ayeka.  They probably got there just after Tenchi did.  They'll be along shortly...." The words were barely out of Washu's mouth before Ayeka's face went red with rage.

            "How dare she be in the Onsen with Lord Tenchi!  Of all the nerve!!  Who knows WHAT she is doing to him in there. I will have none of this!!!!!"  Ayeka snarled at this last comment as she ran to the door and flung it open, intent on stopping whatever it was Ryoko had planned.  She instead got a rude, and to her quite frightening, sight.

            Tenchi, Ryoko, and Mayuka were strolling slowly up the path.  Tenchi was not distressed in the least as he carried his daughter.  Indeed, neither he nor Ryoko was nervous, as if they were trying to hide anything from the rest of the house.  What frightened Ayeka the most was the laughter.  Tenchi and Ryoko were laughing together, and laughing with Mayuka.  Ayeka's mood worsened when Sasami walked up behind her as she stirred something in a small pot.

            "Wow, Ryoko and Tenchi look like they're having a good time, Ayeka.  Don't you think that they look happy sister?" In her joy at seeing her friends and family so happy, she missed the look that Ayeka gave her.  Washu then walked up and put a hand on Sasami's shoulder.

            "Don't they just look like the **_darlingest_** couple, Sasami?"  Washu asked the small princess.  Sasami nodded her head and giggled with Washu, though the scientist was not looking at the happy sight in front of her.  Washu looked up at Ayeka and watched the elder princess's reaction to her statement.

            Ayeka glared daggers at Washu and snarled, "Do not make such outlandish accusations Washu, lord Tenchi would not disgrace himself by consorting with that monster - woman."  Ignoring Washu's glare at Ayeka's title for Ryoko, she stomped out the door to greet the trio as they neared the house.

            Bowing to Tenchi in greeting, she began speaking.  "Good morning, lord Tenchi.  I am pleased to see that you and your daughter are all right.  It eases my mind to see that neither of you are harmed in any way..." She said, her voice tight as she shot Ryoko an icy stare.

            Ryoko growled a bit at the implications of what Ayeka had just said.  "Whaddya mean by that, Princess?  You know I'd never hurt Mayuka or Tenchi.  What's gotten your goat?"  Smirking, Ryoko assumed her usual cocky stance and continued.  "Why is it so hard for you to believe that Tenchi would actually choose to stay at the onsen with little old me?" Ryoko clasped her hands and batted her eyes.

            Meanwhile, Ayeka's own eyes had gotten round as saucers.  She was shocked at what Ryoko had said.  Indeed, she could not make herself believe it.  

            "W-w-what?!?!?!?!  How can you expect me to believe such an outlandish story?  Surely you must be lying then..." Ayeka said, the disbelief rampant in her expression.

            "Sorry Ayeka, but it's true.  Then again, it's only natural for two people who are so much in love to bathe together, eh?" Ryoko retorted, glomping onto Tenchi and winking at Ayeka.

            Ayeka's eyes narrowed, and she thought furiously to herself, _the nerve of that brazen hussy!!!  I'll just have to show my Lord Tenchi just what a fiendish monster Ryoko really is then_.  Inspiration struck, and Ayeka decided to put her newly found barbs to the test.

            "You fiendish woman, what have you done to Lord Tenchi?  It is obvious that he is only standing beside you right now because he is afraid for his daughter's safety. Why else would he be near a slothful, arrogant, ungraceful tramp such as yourself?"  Ayeka had a great deal of satisfaction to see the comments hit home, to see the hurt on Ryoko's face.  

            Both of the girls stared at each other, the hatred and anger palpable in the kitchen everyone was gathered in.  It was plainly obvious to all that a full out fight was brewing, since Ryoko wouldn't allow such painful words to go unanswered.  Surprisingly though, it was not Ryoko that replied, it was **_Tenchi_**.

            "That's enough, Ayeka.  I ran into Ryoko in the bath, and I stayed to spend time with Mayuka.  Ryoko didn't try anything so don't get so worked up.  And besides," he said, meeting each of their eyes in turn, his voice terse, "How many times do I have to tell you not to fight in front of Mayuka?"  As if on cue, the baby began to wail.  

            Tenchi walked past both of them, and handed the baby to 

Washu.  "See, now you've done it."  Tenchi then turned to his Grandfather and the rest of the household.  He spoke as he grabbed a bowl of rice and headed back to the door.  "Grandfather, I'm going to head up to the training grounds now.  I'll see you when you get there".  Bowing to everyone, Tenchi strode quickly out the door.

            The group looked on in silence as Tenchi stalked away.  Everyone except Katsuhito looked at each other in shock.  The Shinto priest's face was expressionless, his eyes hidden behind the light reflecting off his spectacles.  

                        Washu spoke up first.  "I hope you both realize that fighting in front of Tenchi like this is just going to drive him away, girls."  She commented quietly.  "If you two don't stop fighting like this, then neither of you will win his heart.  In fact, it'll be more likely that Sasami will get Tenchi..."  She added, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

            "What?!?!?!?!" Ryoko and Ayeka screamed in unison, their rivalry and argument momentarily forgotten.

            Sasami giggled at the two girls reactions.  She didn't think of Tenchi like that, and the thought made her giggle.  She could feel Tsunami laughing right along with her.

            Ryoko was the first to recover from Tenchi's unusual outburst and Washu's scolding.  Taking Mayuka from Washu, she glared at Ayeka, her eyes narrow and holding barely restrained anger.

            "We'll settle this later princess.  I have a baby to take care of.  Now, if you'll all excuse me." With that Ryoko and the baby phased from view.

            Washu felt a voice in her mind as soon as her daughter left.

            _Can I talk to you later, Washu_? Ryoko's mental voice sounded inside her mind.

            Washu grinned, knowing what her flesh and blood would ask.  _Of course, little Ryoko.  You can tell mommy all about it later, ok_?  She could feel Ryoko tense up when she called her that, but sometimes it was fitting.

            Katsuhito just sighed and looked at Noboyuki.  "Sometimes, I think the boy takes after you a little too much, Son."

            All Noboyuki could do was sigh and nod as Katsuhito finished his meal and made his own way to the training grounds.  He sincerely hoped Tenchi would not get too rough of a lesson from his grandfather.

--------------------------

            At the clearing devoted to his training, Tenchi was balancing on short, narrow wooden pegs stuck into the ground, jumping to and fro slashing at a block of wood.  At least he didn't have it attached to a tree branch anymore.  It felt good to know that he could keep the chunk of wood in the air on his own now, almost making the little thing fly.

            The small piece of wood floated around, as though it were flying through the sky, maybe even through space itself.  With a sigh, he remembered who else could fly. Tenchi played over the incident that had happened just before he had left the house.  Why Ayeka would react like that, he only knew only too well.  Why Ryoko and she couldn't get along, Tenchi didn't know.

            ***Thunk*** Tenchi grimaced when his train of thought caused him to miss the small piece of wood he had been keeping in the air with his bokken.  _Kinda like me and the girls.........._ A rustle in the trees behind him alerted him to a presence in the clearing.  _Good, time to start the lesson.  Maybe this will get my mind off of Ryoko and the other girls_.  Tenchi Turned to face his grandfather, bowing as he did so.

            All the Kama must have taken a liking to Tenchi.  For the second time today, the act of bowing his head saved him, this time from a fast moving bokken aimed for the back of his head.  Teetering slightly on the post he was balancing on, Tenchi brought his own bokken up quickly to deflect the next strike.  The force of the swing sent him off balance.  He was not quick enough to block the next attack, and it struck him hard enough to send him tumbling across the clearing into a tree.

            Scrambling to his feet, Tenchi saw Katsuhito staring at him from the other side of the clearing.  Katsuhito's eyes were inscrutable behind his glasses, but his deep frown alerted the young man that today's lesson was not going to be an easy one.  Hunkering down into a defensive fighting stance, Tenchi waited for his grandfather to make the next move.

            Katsuhito suddenly lunged across the entire clearing almost before Tenchi could react striking with a succession of quick blows that Tenchi fended off only through reflex.  His frown deepened, and he slipped into the more familiar fighting routines.

            "Tenchi, have you learned nothing in all the time I have been training you?  How can you expect to defeat any opponent when you only react?  Without decisive action, there can only be failure.  **_Houoof_**!"  The last exclamation flew from Katsuhito as Tenchi slipped a blow through the elder Masaki's defenses and scored a solid hit.

            With a savagery that Katsuhito had not thought his grandson capable of, Tenchi began to fight desperately, almost inhumanly.  If not for his vastly superior training, Katsuhito was sure that he would have lost to his grandson within the first seconds of the boys attack. The sparring session ranged all around the clearing, neither opponent speaking, the only sound in the clearing was the crack of their practice swords colliding.  The elder swordsman was listening to the flow of the battle, trying to determine the reasons for his grandson's viciousness.  The master swordsman slipped into the purely defensive "Emperor Kneels" fighting stance as he contemplated the changes in his pupil.  

            There was more going on in his grandson's head than Katsuhito had originally thought when Tenchi had arrived at breakfast this morning.  After he had left, Washu had filled the shrine keeper in on what had happened earlier, as did Kiyone.  Ayeka had disappeared into her room, quite embarrassed about being scolded in front of everyone, and by Tenchi of all people.  After thinking on this for a while, Katsuhito reached a startling conclusion.  If he was right, then things were about to get more interesting.  As he regarded the intensity displayed by his grandson, Katsuhito was almost certain that he was right.

            The elder Masaki was forced to return his full attention back to the boy in front of him when Tenchi succeeded in landing another strike on Katsuhito; this time a sold hit on his grandfather's shoulder.  Katsuhito was astonished all over again; never before had anyone struck him while he was in the Emperor Kneels.  Recovering quickly, Katsuhito focused completely on his grandsons actions, parrying blow after blow in rapid succession.  Finding the flow of the battle, he struck quickly, disrupting the pattern Tenchi had fallen into.  A few precise strikes later, Katsuhito had Tenchi on the defensive again, backpedaling to avoid the hailstorm of blows from the master swordsman's bokken.  His voice level and unflustered, Katsuhito asked his grandson a question.

            "What is troubling you so, Tenchi?  You are fighting well, better than you usually do.  Your actions reflect your emotions," he observed, meeting his grandsons eyes with a steady gaze, despite the speed of his attacks.  "You are fighting something, are you not?  And it is not this old man.  No, you are fighting something, fighting it with your entire being.  Fighting so hard, so savagely, that this must involve someone you care about more than you even realize.  One of the girls perhaps."  The last part was meant to goad Tenchi on, and it succeeded.  Katsuhito momentarily stopped his line of questioning as Tenchi began to press a furious attack on his defenses.  After beating Tenchi back and returning to the offensive, he continued.  

            "The last time I saw this sort of decisiveness from you was when you had to go fight Kagato.  So, what has happened with the girls to elicit this sort of reaction?"  Ducking under a wild swing, Katsuhito saw that Tenchi's emotions were getting the better of him, and he was no long fighting with any sort of skill, instead just letting his rage and frustration guide his sword.  His point made, Katsuhito decided to end the lesson for the day.

            Tenchi could not believe the change that came over his grandfather.  Suddenly there was nothing he could do.  Every attack he made, Katsuhito's blade was there, almost before his own was.  Tenchi watched in growing amazement as his grandfather made it painfully clear exactly how much farther he had to go with his training.  In less than ten seconds, Tenchi found him self struck repeatedly over a good portion of his chest, arms, and legs. Even as he landed face down on the ground, his own bokken in his grandfather's hand, he knew that every place he'd been struck was going to bruise.  As Tenchi looked up, Katsuhito dropped Tenchi's bokken and began to calmly walk away from the clearing.  

            "Tenchi, one last thing."  Katsuhito said, not turning or stopping.  "These lessons are not meant only for battle.  Life can be far worse than any battlefield.  Today was our practice was good, but you were not fighting me, you were fighting both yourself and your emotions.  You cannot hold back the tide of your life forever, Tenchi.  It will only hurt you, and the people who care about you, if you are not honest with yourself. The longer you hide from the truth, the less time you have to live with it.  Remember this, grandson, while you tend to yourself."  That said Katsuhito disappeared down the trail toward the shrine.

-----------------------------

            After an uncomfortably quiet breakfast, Kiyone and Mihoshi headed out on the Yagami to make their rounds.  The Sol sector was much better patrolled now that Kiyone had arrived, since she actually *made* Mihoshi go out on patrol.  After an hour into the patrol with absolutely no activity, it looked as if the day was going to be yet another uneventful one for the two Galaxy police detectives.  That's why it came as a bit of a surprise when the long-range sensors picked up a small group of spacecraft streaking into the solar system at reckless speeds.

            "Wow, would you look at that," Kiyone said as the two racing ships sped towards them, seemingly oblivious to the GP cruiser only a million kilometers off their bows, and closing fast.  Glancing to the left to see if Mihoshi was even paying attention, Kiyone was irritated, but not terribly surprised to find Mihoshi asleep, drool dripping off her chin.

            "Wake up Mihoshi!!" an extremely annoyed Kiyone screamed into her blonde partners ear.  "We've got some police work to do, so get it together Mihoshi!"

            Mihoshi just curled up a little bit more and mumbled, "Just let me sleep a little longer, Kiyone."  Then she yawned and snores pored forth from the co-pilot seat.

            Kiyone could barely contain her anger at Mihoshi's inaction.  Glancing at the main display, she realized that she had less than a minute to prepare.  The read-out identified the ship in the lead as a light civilian freighter that was popular among smugglers because of the amount of room in its hull and frame for modifications.  The second ship, an obviously modified heavy fighter, was apparently in pursuit of the first.  Focusing the visual sensors on the smaller ship, she noticed the markings of the bounty hunters guild emblazoned on its dagger-like hull.  

            "Great, just what I needed.  Now I have to get involved with a bounty hunter."  _Geez, what a mercenary bunch of creeps!  First Mihoshi sleeping, now this_, Kiyone thought glumly. 

            Her mood darkened considerably when she saw the markings on the six ships following the bounty hunter.  Her eyes widened when she saw the markings of a pirate guild on the other ships.  She glanced at all of them, shaking her head.  Even with the numbers against her, the Yagami should have more than enough firepower to subdue the pirates, the unidentified small craft, and the bounty hunter if she had to.

 "Why can't anything ever go my way?"  Kiyone mumbled to herself as she readied to hail the ships.

-----------------------------

            Half a system away and a few minutes earlier in Washu's lab, the diminutive scientist was busily typing away at her ethereal computer.  Mid-keystroke, the computer started beeping, indicating that someone was in the lab.  A millisecond later, Washu felt someone appear behind her.  Without even turning, she knew it was Ryoko, probably there to talk with her about Tenchi.

            "Well hello Ryoko," Washu said as she spun around on the floating cushion she used as a chair.  Washu peered into her daughters mind and was surprised to see the mornings events not blocked from her.  _Oh, so this is what she wants to talk about, eh? _ Washu thought to herself as she scanned the most recent "Tenchi" incident through the telepathic link she shared with her daughter.

            Ryoko regarded the childlike woman in front of her for a hesitant moment before sitting down unceremoniously on the floor.  Looking up, she opened her mouth to speak, then shut it almost immediately, unsure how to proceed.

            "You wanna know if Tenchi is in love with one of us girls, don'tcha?"  Seeing the pained look Ryoko gave her, she realized she had hit the nail on the head, so to speak.  "Well how am I supposed to know Ryoko?  I could probably look into his mind with some device or another, but I don't even do that to you unless I think there is something wrong.  So why should I do that to him?"  Washu asked, turning back to face her computer.

            "But Washu, any other man I know would have been mine by now.  How can he keep turning me down or pushing me away?"  Ryoko grimaced and fought back a tear before she asked her next question.  "He's gotta be in love with someone else if he acts like this, right?" Ryoko asked her mother.  

            "Good use of deductive reasoning, my little Ryoko," That succeeded in getting an irritated grimace out of the cyan haired girl, so Washu finished the rest of what she had to say quickly, "But your not entirely right.  Did it ever occur to you that the reason he can't, or won't, return the affection you show him is because he doesn't want to hurt ANY of us?"   

            Ryoko was about to dismiss Washu's thought with a shrug and a wave of her hand when the diminutive scientist spoke up again.

            "Look at all the facts dear," and Washu said as she called up a few screens of data.  "If Tenchi picks Ayeka, that will hurt you and Mihoshi.  If he picks Mihoshi, which is unlikely, the little blonde would likely be killed by Ayeka or yourself.  If he chooses you, both Ayeka and Sasami will leave, and none of us want that."  Washu turned back around, meeting her daughter's gaze, her eyes filled with motherly compassion.

            "But Washu, I know that none of the other girls love him like I do!!  Why can't he see that it hurts when he keeps pushing me away?" Ryoko asked, desperation evident in her voice, her eyes wet from unshed tears.

            Washu sighed, but had expected nothing less from her progeny.  She could see her progeny trying to hold back tears, and something Washu had heard from Sasami came back to her.

            The red headed scientist had been watching Tenchi, Ryoko, and Mayuka playing in the yard one day.  Suddenly it occurred to her how much the trio looked like a family.  Unbidden, memories of her husband and son surfaced, threatening to shatter her calm demeanor; Sasami had seen her and walked over.

            Sasami had turned her bright pink eyes on Washu and said, "You know, Mommy Funaho says that it's okay to have a good cry every now and then, little Washu."

            Washu had looked over at Sasami, and shook her head.  "I haven't cried in a long time, Sasami.  I don't know if I even can any more."  Instead of answering, Sasami had just smiled and hugged Washu.

            It was as if a dam had broken.  Slowly at first, then with increasing intensity, Washu began to cry.  She just stood there silently and let the tears come.  And little Sasami was right; afterward, she felt immensely relieved.

            Back in the present, Washu watched as Ryoko tried valiantly to hold back her tears.  Washu knew, thanks to her link, that her daughter hated to show weakness to anyone.  The red headed scientist quickly decided that, despite everything that had happened in the past, this could be an opportunity to begin acting like the mother that she was supposed to be.

Slipping off her cushion to kneel beside Ryoko, she wrapped her arms around her startled daughter in a fierce hug.  Washu felt her daughter stiffen, but she refused to let go.  She just said the first thing that came to her mind.

"There, there, Ryoko.  Everything'll be all right.  Just let it out."  

For another moment Ryoko tried to hold in her pain.  Then she heard the obvious concern and support in Washu's voice, the former space pirate's control slipped a second later and her slender frame shook as she started crying in great, shuddering, sobs.

-----------------------------

            "Wow, those ships are moving really fast, aren't they Kiyone?" Mihoshi observed, rubbing sleep from her eyes.  "We should tell them to slow down before they get into an accident.  Shouldn't we be hailing them?"  Mihoshi asked.  Kiyone fell out of her seat in surprise as her partner spoke directly into her ear. 

            She looked on in shock as Mihoshi opened a general hail and began speaking to all of the ships.  _How does she even remember how to do that_?  Kiyone thought to herself.  Then she heard what Mihoshi was saying and she turned stark white.

            "You there, in the ships.  This is detective's first class Mihoshi and Kiyone, in charge of the Sol system.  You are going really fast, and you need to slow down, okay?  If you don't, you'll make Kiyone really mad, and we'll have to arrest all of you, so please slow down, pretty please?"  As Mihoshi pleaded with the two ships, Kiyone quickly overcame her initial shock and slapped the comm. system off.

            "Mihoshi, you dingbat, what are you doing?  That's a bounty hunter and a bunch of pirates out there, they're not going to listen to you just because you asked nicely!!"  She saw tears beginning to well up in Mihoshi's eyes and sighed.

            "Look, it's all right.  I'm going to hail the bounty hunter and find out who the bounty is, ok?"  Seeing Mihoshi starting to calm down, Kiyone started up the comm. again and hailed the bounty hunter with a tight beam transmission.

            "Bounty hunter, state you name and license number, and the nature of your chase." Kiyone called, her voice calm and full of authority.  

            A fuzzy picture of a man dressed in a red coat and wearing a wide brimmed hat appeared on the monitor.  The man had apparently seen better days, as was made obvious by the ragged scar that angled from is left brow across the bridge of his nose, and across his right cheekbone. The scar was pale against his tanned complexion.  While apparently human, Kiyone noticed the fur on his face, nearly dismissing it as a beard before she looked more closely.  With a small gasp she realized that the bounty hunter was a Priderian, a race known for both their strength and their sense of justice.  Kiyone had never heard of a Priderian bounty hunter before; usually, they stayed on the right side of the law, with many making up the very best of the Galaxy Police.

            The bounty hunter looked up a little bit, his eyes still hidden in the deep shadows underneath the wide brim of his battered hat.  "My name is Victor Duras, and I am a Class 4 bounty hunter.  My guild code is V60513D.  Please stand down, detectives, I can apprehend this bounty without your help, but I would appreciate the help with the pirates.  I think they are after the same target I a......" 

            Suddenly, the frequency fuzzed out completely, the image degenerating to static.  Looking up quickly, Kiyone could see that the largest pirate ship had opened its main bay to space to reveal a jury-rigged weapons turret, which it was bringing to bear on the small fighter.  What made Kiyone's eyes go wide was when she recognized the cannon mounted to the makeshift turret.  It was a capital ship deck gun designed for engaging battleships.  

The bounty hunter had excellent reflexes.  The second the cannon started to target him, he threw his small craft into a tight turn that almost brought him out of the cannons firing arc.  Unfortunately, against something as small as a fighter even a near miss would be enough for a kill.  The blood-red streak of energy passed by less then a meter from the fighter's hull, and the sleek craft's port wing exploded as fuel and ordnance was ignited by the intense heat.

            Kiyone and Mihoshi watched in horror as the bounty hunter's ship was envelop in a massive explosion.  The initial shot continued further, however, and grazed the freighter as well.  Fortunately, the shields held on the lead ship and it was merely knocked aside with the force of the blast.

            Mihoshi began crying as soon as she saw the bounty hunter's fighter explode.  "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah...." Mihoshi wailed.  "Why'd they do that to the nice bounty hunter!!!" 

The blonde let out a loud "eep" as the pirates now turned their attention to the much less maneuverable GP cruiser.  She looked over at her partner with tear filled eyes.  "What are we gonna do, Kiyone?"

            "We have to get out of here!!" Kiyone exclaimed.  "Our ship can't stand up to a cannon like that.  We need reinforcements......." Kiyone looked up in time to see the criminal ship prepare to fire, the cannon's tip glowing blood red.  With all of the cover fire from the other pirate ships, Kiyone realized there would be no way to dodge the canon.  

            _Whatever fates let me get out of that ultra energy matter fiasco, I could really use a Miracle right about now_…

---------------------

            Washu stood there holding her daughter, just muttering soothing words as she stroked Ryoko's soft cyan hair.  And cry she did.  The green-eyed scientist let Ryoko cry for many minutes; when she sensed that Ryoko was through the worst of it she decided to speak.

            "Just remember, Ryoko, that he doesn't express how he feels because he doesn't want to hurt anyone."  Washu whispered comfortingly, as she held the sobbing form of Ryoko in her childlike arms, "If you're hurting this badly, imagine the guilt and pain he must be going through, **_knowing_** that he's hurting you and the other girls, and hurting himself as well."

            Ryoko looked up in shock as Washu finished her speech.  Thinking on it for a moment, she realized that the one being hurt the most by all of her flirting, all of the fighting was Tenchi.  But, she couldn't just **_let_** Ayeka win.  That would drive her crazy, she was sure.

            Before either of them could continue their conversation, warning lights started flashing from a number of displays.  Washu let go of her daughter after a final squeeze, and leaped back to her computer, her small hands flying over the keyboard as she tried to pinpoint the source of the disturbance.

            "Ryoko, go get Ryo-Ohki and the others.  There's a firefight out by Saturn, and it looks like it is gonna be a doosy."  Seeing her daughter's reluctance, she shot Ryoko one of her best glares and snapped,  "Kiyone and Mihoshi are out there, and they're going to be totally outmatched if we don't hurry and get out there.  Now get moving Ryoko, grab Ryo-Ohki and get out there!"  Her expression softened for a moment as she added, "we'll finish our little mother daughter talk later, ok?"  With that, Washu flashed her daughter one of her best mad scientist grins, jumped from her floating pillow and sprinted for the door.

            Ryoko just shrugged her shoulders and faded away.  She reappeared in the fields next to Tenchi a moment later.  She didn't want to let on that she was actually worried, but Ryoko picked up her pace as soon as she reappeared next to Tenchi.  _I hope Mihoshi doesn't get those two killed_. 

            "C'mon Tenchi, we have to go," Ryoko said as she put her arm on Tenchi's shoulder.

            "Go where, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked even as he set down his tools.

            Ryoko shrugged her shoulders.  "It looks like Kiyone and Mihoshi have gotten themselves in a bit of a jam, so we need to go help out.  We have to go get Ayeka, so C'mon, let's hurry." 

             Without waiting for a reply, Ryoko teleported Tenchi and she over to the hanging lines, where Ayeka was busily cleaning the laundry.

            Ayeka started visibly when Ryoko stuck her head through the linen she was setting on the line.  Startling her further, Ryoko just grabbed her hand with a grin.

            "Time to go on a little trip princess," she said with a smirk.  Suddenly Ayeka and Ryoko disappeared.

            Sasami came out of the house a moment to late to witness her sister's abrupt exit.  She looked around for a minute, and then sighed.

            "Where did everybody go?" The little girl wondered, as she looked around the suddenly deserted yard.  "Even Ryo-Ohki's gone..."

            Less than a minute later, Ryo-Ohki shot out of the atmosphere, headed directly for Saturn.

----------------------------

            Kiyone closed her eyes and shoved the throttle all the way forward as she desperately veered the ship into a tight left-hand turn.  There was no way the Yagami was going to be able to dodge the freighter's main cannon at this range, but she had to try.  

            She could hear Mihoshi crying next to her, but Kiyone was too scared to even yell at her.  _Please let us live through this,_ she prayed to whatever gods happened to be listening, as she watched arcs of energy run across the barrel of the cannon as it ran through the last moments of it's firing sequence.

            From behind the GP cruiser, energy streaked into the criminal ship, battering the boxy craft with a hail of weapons fire.  At almost the same moment, laser fire streaked from the debris cloud that marked what Kiyone had though was going to be the final resting place of the bounty hunter's fighter.  Kiyone checked her screens and let out a small, amazed, gasp.  Victor's ship had partially survived the blast and most of the main hull, the starboard wing, the engines, and some of the energy weapons were intact and operational, at least for the moment.  Even more encouraging, Ryo-Ohki shot past the Yagami's bow, still raining fire on the pirate ships.

            Ryoko, with Tenchi, Ayeka, and Washu in the background, appeared on the Yagami's main screen.  The former space pirate was still as smug as ever, and her devilish grin was in full force.  

            "Thought you two could use a little help."  Ryoko looked over her shoulder then and said, "You were right, Washu.  That other ship did survive; at least kinda, anyway."

            "Well, I told you.  That bounty hunter must have known how his target was armed and planned accordingly.  Still, he must have had a contract with the science academy at some time or another in order to have shielding that good on such a small ship."  While Washu was talking, she waved her holotop into existence and began typing.

            The fight in space was short but intense.  After a few well-placed shots from Ryo-Ohki, the main cannon on the enemy ship was destroyed.  The cabbit-ship then turned its attention to the rest of the pirates.  Without its primary armament, the pirates began evasive maneuvers, trying vainly to escape the combined wrath of three obviously superior vessels. 

                        The Bounty hunter opened up a channel to Ryo-Ohki.  Though it was obvious that both he and his ship were worse for the wear, he spoke in a deep, calm voice.

            "Thank you for your help, former criminal Ryoko.  Though I did not believe the rumors that you were in this sector," Victor said, a slight grin appearing on his battered and bloody features, "I am relieved, for the moment anyway, that you have indeed changed for the better."  And with that he gave a slight bow of acknowledgement.

            "Wow, I didn't think I was still famous," Ryoko said, her lopsided grin even larger than before.  "Didja hear that Tenchi?  People still know me!" she said as she drank in the praise from the bounty hunter.

            "Yes Ryoko, Definitely still infamous, anyway," Ayeka said with a smirk.

            "Whatever Princess, at least I am known for more than my name."

            Ayeka shook her head as her eyes got wide.  "Wha-what WHAT!?!?!?!?!  How dare you say such outlandish things!!"  She turned to Tenchi, the glimmer of tears in Ayeka's eyes.

            "Tell this monster woman to stop, Lord Tenchi." She implored the young man.  Tenchi began to sweat as both Ayeka and Ryoko loomed nearer to him.

            "Um, Ladies", Washu said as she peered up from her spectral computer, "Maybe we should concentrate on the battle out there, not the one brewing in here?" 

            Washu looked at the screen, and her eyes narrowed slightly when she saw the bounty hunter.  _hmm, so he's a Priderian, eh?  Has to be a half breed if he's bounty hunting; No full breed would "debase" himself like that_.  Washu's hands danced over her computer as she entered in numerous observations.  

            _Well, well, well! _ Washu thought to herself.  _This might be even more interesting than I thought_.  Washu looked up again to see the scenes of the battle, and hmmm'd to herself thoughtfully...

--------------------------

            In very short order, all of the pirate ships were neutralized.              The largest pirate ship, it's shields starting to buckle and the big gun little more than slag, made a break for Earth's surface.  Ryo-Ohki swung around in pursuit as Kiyone brought the Yagami around to follow and the bounty hunter limped after all of them, his fighter doing an admirable job of keeping up, despite the heavy damage to it's port-side.

            The frigate, while not faster than Ryo-Ohki, was fast enough to get to the Earths atmosphere before the rest of them could catch up.  Unwilling to damage their ships, Ryoko, Kiyone, and the bounty hunter stopped their ships before they entered Earth's gravity at a reckless pace.

            Washu opened a channel and spoke to the other two ships.  

            "All right folks, it looks like whoever that was just crash-landed in the central mountains of Japan.  We'll meet you back at the House, Kiyone and Mihoshi.  You three should be able to take it from here."

            "Take it easy you two", Ryoko said over the comm., and then the signal went out as Ryo-Ohki returned to the Masaki residence.

            Kiyone and Mihoshi looked at each other.  Mihoshi looked as confused as ever, and Kiyone looked surprised to still be alive.  Shaking her head to clear it, Kiyone maneuvered their cruiser over to the first pirate ship…

            After nearly four hours, Kiyone and Mihoshi had managed to round up all of the pirates.  All that was left was the bounty hunter.  As she made preparations to tractor the small ship into the holding bay, Kiyone opened up a comm. channel to speak with Victor.

            "Come in, Victor Duras.  We're going to bring you into our ship so that you'll survive reentry, and then we'll begin tracking your criminal."  Kiyone looked at the screen and saw the nod from the Bounty Hunter.  

            "That is acceptable Detective.  I'll be aboard shortly."

            "Why are you after this criminal anyway, Victor?"  Kiyone asked as her curiosity took over now that the threat was neutralized.  "They must have something very important to have that kind of weaponry."

            "_He_ is very important, Detective, and very dangerous," Victor said as he grimaced.  "Since my bounty got away, I'll just have't find out his destination from the pirates."

            Kiyone looked at him oddly as she asked her next question.  

            "Why would they know?"

            Victor looked fully up at the screen, and Kiyone could see a smoldering fire within his eye that disturbed her in its intensity.  And yet, it reminded her of the past, though she could not place why.

            "It seems me bounty was meetin' with these 'er Pirates to exchange something, but they double crossed 'em.  Not that I blame them."  Victor shook his head.  "My guess is that he's headin for their main base."

            Kiyone was startled to hear that a single criminal would be crazy enough to attack a pirate stronghold, but she decided to wait until Victor was on board to ask why he was after that man.  As she was activating the tractor beam, she saw Mihoshi looking at the co-pilot's control panel.

            "I wanna help, Kiyone!"  Mihoshi whined, realizing that her partner was more or less ignoring her, "I'll start our descent Kiyone, and then we can go arrest those vile pirates in the name of Justice!!"  Mihoshi, striking a pose right out of a magical girl anime, didn't quite realize where she was putting her hand until it was a bit to late.  "Oops...I don't think I was supposed to press that one..."

            Kiyone's eyes got wide when she realized that Mihoshi **_had_** hit the correct button.  However, she also managed to hit the button for the afterburners... and had knocked the throttle all the way to the max position.  The end result being that the cruiser hurtled towards the Masaki residence at roughly ten times the speed it should have been going.  Kiyone didn't even have time to scream at Mihoshi before the GP cruiser hit the lake.  As she lost consciousness, Kiyone made a vow to kill Mihoshi if she lived through the impact.

End of Chapter, the First.  What did you think?  This is the first fanfic I wrote, and I would like it muchly if you commented in the box below.  Makes me feel special to get email, even if it is hate mail ^_^  I know ye are itching to get on to the next chapter, but tell me what ye thought of this chapter as well, ok?

DREZ


	2. Chapter, The Second

            Hello again!  I guess ye liked my story since you are on chapter two.  I will post any and all updates that I have for previous chapters when I upload a new chapter, so things will always be changing, just usually in minor ways.  And yes, I am still getting help from my proofreader Mayhem.

            As a slight note, this story takes place after the Mihoshi special and Manenatsu No Eve (or Daughter of Darkness in the US.).  If you haven't seen these two additions to the OAV series, then watch them!!!  They are quite good.

Illusions of Life: Sins of the Past  Chapter the Second 

            A mid-sized cruiser, crystalline in structure, shot towards the hills of Okayama at too rapid a pace for any conventional radar to detect, even if the radar could detect it in the first place.  With very little flourish, the starship that was Ryo-Ohki came to a halt above the Masaki Household.  Depositing its four occupants in the clearing near the lake, the ship seemed to disappear, only to reappear next to its master in its oh-so cuddly cabbit form.

            The lithe, cyan haired beauty that was Ryo-Ohki's master glanced around the clearing and sighed.  _Well, that's the end of _**that**_ little bit of excitement for the day,_ Ryoko thought to herself as she looked into the sky.  _I wonder when those two blundering GP are gonna get here_?

            Meanwhile, after having been dropped rather unceremoniously onto her rear-end, the normally very regal, but at this moment very irate, crown-princess of the planet Jurai sat grumbling about the state of the universe.  Standing quickly, straightening her pink and purple kimono with unconscious gestures, the princess scanned her dark pink eyes around the clearing searching for the source of her current discomfort.  It didn't take long.  Having spotted her quarry, Ayeka stalked towards the former space pirate, ready to extract her revenge for the undignified landing.

            "Ryoko!!  Couldn't you at least _try_ to make sure we **all** land on our feet next time?"  Ayeka snarled angrily at the slightly taller cyan haired woman

            "What's the matter little Princess?  I always land on my feet.  It's not _my_ fault you're a clutz!!"  Ryoko answered glibly.  "Besides Ayeka," the former space pirate added, a wide grin on her face, "Personally I think you look absolutely _charming_ in the dirt!"  Ryoko laughed, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against a conveniently placed tree, seemingly at ease. 

            The normally lovely lavender eyes of the princess quickly darkened, taking on a murderously red hue.  "Please, Ryoko," Ayeka sneered, "the only reason you land on your feet is because you are more of a feline than an actual human being.  Honestly, I cannot believe Lord Tenchi tolerates an inhuman beast such as yourself under his roof."

            Ryoko glided from her position against the tree to stand nose to nose with the princess.  Her golden eyes promised death to her purple haired nemesis.  Ayeka returned the look, not flinching in the slightest under the gaze directed at her by the cyan haired girl.  Instead, she was returning Ryoko's glare with one of her own, and sparks began to fly from between both women... literally.  On the other side of the clearing, Tenchi and Washu stood staring at the slowly darkening sky.

            "Whaddya mean by that, Princess?!?!  I oughta...."

            "You ought to what!?  I have half a mind..."

            "Half a mind?  That's more than I woulda thought..."

            Tenchi sighed as he heard the bickering behind him quickly escalate into a proper brawl.  He turned slightly to the diminutive red head next to him and opened his mouth to speak.

            "So Little Washu, do you think that Mihoshi, Kiyone, and that bounty hunter can catch whoever was in that ship?  I'm kinda worried about them, after what just happened," Tenchi said as he shifted his gaze from the sky to the lady that was typing on a spectral computer next to him.

            "Well Tenchi, I am sure they can catch those criminals.  In fact, I am pretty sure that Victor could catch those pirates on his own."  She paused from watching the sky for a moment and pulled a large umbrella from a sub-space pocket.  "At the moment, I am actually more worried about how much damage Mihoshi is about to do to your house when she hits the lake... again."  

            When Tenchi gave her a shocked look, Washu pointed out a ball of fire in the sky.  A ball of fire that was growing larger and larger by the second as it screamed towards the Earth.

            "We might wanna get inside Tenchi," the short scientist remarked.  Seeing Tenchi's hesitation as he glanced at the expanding cloud of smoke that marked Ayeka and Ryoko's position, Washu sighed and grabbed his arm.  "They'll be fine Tenchi, but I don't want to take a bath with you in these conditions!!"  She said to him as she dragged him toward the house.

            Tenchi gulped and began to sweat nervously as both Washu and he ran headlong for the house.  He spared one glance over his shoulder at the duo of brawling girls, and another at the ball of fire hurtling toward them.  He just sighed and picked up his pace, running as fast as his legs would take him.

            "I hope the house is alright this time..." Tenchi muttered to himself as he ran.

--------------------

            Kiyone froze with dread when she heard Mihoshi say she wanted to help land the ship.  Her fears were confirmed shortly by what her partner said next.  

            "Oops.... I don't think I was supposed to press that one..." 

            Sadly Kiyone didn't have a chance to say anything in retort before everything went black.

            That was the last thing that the teal-haired, Detective First Class Kiyone Makibi remembered before the spaceship Yagami began hurtling towards the planet Earth.  As she finally woke Kiyone could hear the sounds of animals in the forest, and the breeze amongst the trees.  She also felt like she had been through another week of Basic.  She hurt everywhere.  But if she could be in this much pain, then she figured she couldn't be dead yet.  But why wasn't she at the bottom of the lake drowning?

            Kiyone's eyes shot open as she sat up abruptly.  She regretted that even before she completed the action as her brain attempted to pound its way out of her skull.  Not even sparing a glance at her surroundings, she immediately lay back down, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain.  A sigh escaped her lips as the pain slowly receded.  

            The Galaxy Police detective sensed movement near her, and was about to turn her head to look when she felt a small piece of metal press against her neck, followed by a slight sting as she was injected with something.  Almost immediately, Kiyone felt the pain began to lessen throughout her body.  She looked to see who was helping her, expecting to see Washu.  Kiyone was extremely surprised to see the cloaked form of the bounty hunter.

            "Easy girl, easy.  You took a couple of bad knocks before I got to ye, so just lay there for a minute," the Bounty Hunter, Victor, said as Kiyone instinctively went for her blaster.  "Let the meds do their work, and it'll stop hurting long enough for yer friends to arrive." 

            He then proceeded to turn from her and walk just out of Kiyone's view. Victor pulled out another hypo spray as he leaned down.  She heard the hissing sound of it being injected.  A small moan followed the injection, and then some mumbling.  Kiyone sighed in resignation when she recognized the voice of her partner, Mihoshi.

            _I should have known we'd _both_ survive_, Kiyone thought, her emotions an odd mix of amusement, irritation, and relief.  _I'll never be free from that ditz.  Oh well.  I hope she isn't hurt too bad_.

            Deciding now would be a good time to size up the bounty hunter Kiyone scanned what she could see of her surroundings.  She saw that he was sitting against a rock a few feet from her.  Kiyone noted that Victor had taken his brown trench coat off and set it folded behind his head, his hat resting on his knee.  The bounty hunter sat with his face turned toward the sky, his eyes closed and his face calm.  A trio of thin scars ran from over the top of his left eye, running underneath the patch covering his right eye, and ending on the right side of his lower jaw.  They were old and faded, but clean enough that Kiyone doubted that an animal caused them.  

            From a distance he appeared to have a tan complexion, but looking carefully, Kiyone could see that this was due to the short, tawny fur covering his body.  Aside from that, he had a curly mass of dark red and black hair pulled back in a ponytail.  The bounty hunter's features were angular and leonine, though he could pass for human as long as no one looked _too_ closely.  

            Kiyone absently noticed that he was well built, since she could see his muscles underneath the black material of his shirt.  _Hey, this guys not too bad looking_, she thought idly to herself.  _Wait a minute, why the hell am I thinking about this now_?!?! 

            To distract herself from her current train of thought, Kiyone decided to study Victor's weaponry.  Strapped under his left arm was a blaster; it was a good model but nothing special.  

Kiyone's eyebrow rose when she saw the handgun holstered on his right side.

After the advent of laser and plasma weaponry, it became very rare for anyone to carry a ballistic weapon of any sort.  The gun on his right hip was a little larger than a standard blaster, and she was amused to note that it appeared to be a revolver.  She shouldn't have been too surprised though.  Kiyone knew from experience that Priderian's were fans of ancient weapons; in fact, Mihoshi had a small collection of knives that she had acquired from across the galaxy.  Judging from what she could see, that handgun would probably nearly as powerful as a blaster anyway.  

Next Kiyone's eyes traveled across Victor's body to his other hip.  She blushed slightly as she did so, her mind registering a contour of his stomach and thighs.  Her eyes widened when the teal haired detective reached his other weaponry.  The bounty hunter appeared to have some sort of large gun in a holster on his left thigh.  Kiyone let out a small gasp when she recognized its design.

            The gun that Kiyone recognized was memorable for one reason: its rarity.  She had only remembered hearing about the gun on his hip, and had only seen a picture of one during her academy days.  If Kiyone was right, then this bounty hunter actually had an Alterra blaster!  She was completely amazed.  While some cultures aggressively pursued energy weaponry, the system of Alterra chose a different route.  By working with the natural EM fields generated by people and planets, the Alterrans developed a way to harness those gravity fields to devastating effect.

Kiyone believed that humans had done something similar, calling it a rail gun.  Whatever it was called, the Alterran weapons were some of the most dangerous weapons in the universe.  These weapons were so powerful that the only force that was consistently capable of defeating the Alterran space force were the tree ships of the Jurain Empire.

            For all its power, Alterran weapons are notoriously difficult to use.  In fact, only the most highly trained soldiers ever used them.  Kiyone knew that the training required to use such a weapon was comparable only to the training required to use the power of Jurai; and it was equally as rare.

            "Ye see something that interests that pretty little head of yours, eh detective?"  The bounty hunter asked as a smile formed on his face.  His eyes were still closed and his face continued to look towards the fading light in the sky.  His voice was deep, throaty, and almost animalistic, yet still remained warm.  After a few moments without an answer he turned his face to look at her and opened his one good eye.  It was a steely gray, and it held curiosity, humor, and a hint of something that Kiyone could not immediately identify.

            Kiyone couldn't believe that he had heard her.  The gasp she had let out was barely audible to her, and she couldn't believe he had heard it from a good fifteen feet away.  Kiyone blushed, turning very red when she realized that the bounty hunter had known she was looking him over.  To cover her embarrassment at having been caught, she mustered up the courage to ask about the oddity of his weaponry.

            "Actually I did Victor," Kiyone finally said.  "Why do you still have that ancient slug-thrower?"  Seeing Victor shrug, she got even more curious.  "Why not trade it in for another blaster, or maybe an anti-matter shotgun?  I mean, isn't it totally useless?"

            The bounty hunter's grin got wider.  "Ye'd be surprised.  Thanks to your typical blaster, few people bother to wear any form of armor other than their clothes nowadays.  And since almost all energy barriers are designed to deflect only energy, this little baby does some amazing things."  He chuckled a little bit to himself.  "Ye wouldn't believe the look on a crook's face when his shield goes down after a well placed shot with this thing," Victor said as he drew the handgun and twirled it idly with a finger for a moment, before replacing it in its holster.

            Kiyone had to smile a bit herself at that.  Picturing a high and mighty crime lord wetting himself after his "perfect" defense was lost was, at least to her, a thoroughly amusing idea.

            Kiyone spoke up, "So how did you get that Alterran weapon Victor?  I didn't think anyone but their warrior caste could even _learn_ how to use one?"

            Victor frowned before he replied.  "I had…some odd things happen to me many years ago.  Afterward, I was found and trained in an Alterran Monastery.  It's where I got the gun as well.  In fact I…"

            There was a sound of footsteps entering the clearing.  Kiyone saw Victor stand and head toward the sounds.  It was a little too far for her to see from her position, and she wasn't about to chance lifting her head again just yet.

            _Looks like the cavalry has arrived, _Kiyone thought to herself.  _I really do hope that Mihoshi is all right._  Kiyone sighed.  _Now I wonder about this bounty hunter.  He looks kinda familiar.  And he carries a Priderian D-13 Peacemaker. _ Her eyes widened when as she remembered the other Priderian she knew that used such a weapon. _ But that's not possible.  He's been dead for almost fifteen years now._

---------------------------

            "Took ye long enough," the bounty hunter said in a tone that was almost a growl.  "Some friends ye are."  Victor looked at the approaching Tenchi, staring him right in the eye as he continued.  Up close and personal, he was shocked at how young the kid was; Victor figured he couldn't have been more than fourteen or fifteen standard years old.  But the way he carried himself, it was obvious the boy was no child.  

He decided to save the questions for later.  "Anyway, the dark haired detective, I think Kiyone's the name, was not hurt bad as far as I can tell, just some massive bruising and a concussion."  Both glanced towards Kiyone.  Her breathing was steady, and though there were many small cuts on her, only the large cut on her thigh seemed even remotely serious.

            Victor then leaned over the unconscious form of Mihoshi.  The blonde's face was caked in drying blood, and her arms were curled over a nasty wound in her stomach as she lay on her side.  There were cuts and scrapes over most of her visible body, as well as a large gouge in the side of her head.  

The bounty hunter jumped back when he felt the hum of energy begin to coalesce around Mihoshi.  He watched the detective carefully as she was encased in an energy bubble and floated over to where Ayeka and Washu were waiting.  Victor looked up at Tenchi, his eyes more intense than during the fight in space.

            "Be careful with her."  Victor's voice held a dark, almost dangerous tone as he spoke.  "Her skull is cracked really badly, and the wound in her stomach looks really deep.  She was breathing fine when I got here, so I think all her vitals are ok."

Tenchi gulped.  There was an undercurrent of pain and worry in Victor's tone that seemed out of place.  But Tenchi decided to ignore it and save the questions for later.  Instead he looked between both, wondering if he should help Kiyone or if he should go with Washu and Mihoshi.

  Seeing Tenchi looked worriedly first at Mihoshi, then at Kiyone, Victor said, "Don't worry about the other girl, just worry 'bout Miss Kuramitsu.  I'll get her partner."  

            The bounty hunter looked up as Washu approached.  "I gave them both a shot of Denistropine, Ma'am.  I hope it's enough."  He got up and headed back over to Kiyone.

Victor filled Washu in on what he had observed since he had come to.  Washu did a quick scan of the bounty hunter, but it appeared that he was fine, other than a few bruises.  They both stopped by Kiyone.

            Washu looked Kiyone over and smiled.  "You two always get into the most interesting kinds of trouble, don't you detective."  Kiyone smiled up at her as Washu started her examination.  "Well Kiyone, you're lucky.  Other than a bad concussion, the cut on your thigh, and a broken arm, you're not hurt too bad.  Feel up to walking, or do you want me to put you in a bubble?"

            Kiyone immediately answered, "No thanks Washu.  If it's all the same to you, I'll get back to the house on my own.  I hate getting stuck in those force fields, you know that."

            Washu smiled and nodded.  "If you need any help, just ask Mr. Duras over here for help."

            Tenchi, Washu, Ayeka, and Mihoshi all disappeared with a slightly audible pop, presumably headed to the red headed scientist lab.  After a moment, Kiyone attempted to stand, only to find that her legs refused to listen to her.

            By this point Kiyone had begun to lose consciousness as the injection the bounty hunter had given her took full effect.  Kiyone was startled when she felt the strong arms of the bounty hunter wrap around her and cradle her into his chest.  She looked up with the last remnants of awareness and stared blearily at Victor's face.  For just a moment, he looked just like a face from the past, someone she had lost long ago.

            The bounty hunter looked down at her as Kiyone struggled to stay conscious.  He smiled softly as her eyes closed.  He bowed his head down nearer to hers and whispered, "Just rest Kiyone.  I'm gonna take care of you, like old times..." And with that Victor headed toward Tenchi and the rest of the group as they took the injured back to the Masaki house and Washu's lab.

            "DaiMon........." Kiyone mumbled as the she faded from the world around her.  

**--------------------------**

            The youngest male in the Masaki household was leaning against the sill of his window, a faraway look in his eyes.  The peaceful expanse of the valley, with the lake as its centerpiece, spread out before the young man.  If anyone had bothered to knock on his door, or had even just walked into his room, Tenchi would not have noticed.  The brown-eyed young man was lost in the world of his own thoughts, staring out the window at the beautiful countryside, but not seeing the panorama laid out before him.

            _What am I going to do_?  The young prince thought to himself.  _They both deserve an answer.  Ayeka and Ryoko need to know where their lives are going.  But how in the hell am I supposed to do this?  How can I not hurt one of them_?  Tenchi grunted in discomfort.  _Why am I thinking about this now_?  He chastised himself as he remembered that Washu was still tending the injured Detectives.

            Tenchi sighed and reluctantly turned away from the window in his room.  Still mulling over his current train of thought and running on auto - pilot he went to the closet and put on his work clothes.  After donning his familiar brown coat, Tenchi headed downstairs, still deep in thought.  So deep in fact, he did not notice Ayeka, her hands on her hips and her foot tapping agitatedly, standing at the bottom of the steps yelling at Ryoko.

            "You silly twit!!  Can't you do anything right?  All Sasami asked you to do was boil the rice, and you can't even get that right!"

            Ryoko's voice echoed from the area of the kitchen.  The sheer volume of her voice was enough to shake the walls of the Masaki household.

            "Well, Princess, at least she lets me **attempt** to help with the cooking!"  Ryoko's voice took on a slightly cockier tone as she continued.  "I wasn't the one that nearly poisoned Tenchi last month with my cooking skills now was I, hmmmmmm!?!?!?"

            Why, I nev…oof!!" Ayeka started.  As she opened her mouth to speak, a highly distracted Tenchi accidentally knocked her to the ground.  She hit the ground with a gasp and a thud.

            After colliding with something at the base of the steps, the dark haired young man looked up to see whom he had run into.  Tenchi quickly scanned the room and saw the first princess of Jurai lying on the ground.  His eyes widened when Tenchi realized just whom it was that he knocked down.  Reacting quickly, Tenchi made his way over to Ayeka and made to help her up.

            Ayeka, meanwhile, was just starting to look up in the direction of whoever had knocked her so unceremoniously to the ground.  _That had better have not have been Ryoko_…  She thought to her self as a lightly tanned hand came into view.  Following the direction of the arm, her gaze moved up the arm, to the shoulder, and finally to the face of an embarrassed Tenchi.  Seeing who it was, Ayeka's anger disappeared immediately.  Smiling, she took his hand and allowed him to help her up.

            "I'm sorry about that Ayeka," Tenchi said sheepishly after he had helped her to her feet.  "I guess I wasn't watching where I was going.  Sorry about that."

            "Oh, that's all right Lord Tenchi.  I was just scolding that abominable space pirate for ruining the dinner that Sasami had worked so hard at.  Think nothing of it," The purple haired princess said with the slightest of smiles as she craned her neck upward to look Tenchi in the eye.

            A sultry voice echoed from the kitchen.  "Ohhhhh Teeeenchi!!!"  The owner of that name gulped and looked around as sweat began to bead on his brow.  Seeing his shoes next to the door, Tenchi bolted for them.  

            The panicking young man ran by princess Ayeka so quickly that she spun around.  She watched him put his shoes on and make a mad dash for the door, mumbling something about the fields and dinner.  Sighing, the first heir of Jurai made her way to the family room and made herself comfortable.  Turning on the TV, she idly surfed the intergalactic channels in an attempt to resist the urge to taunt Ryoko some more.  She stopped suddenly and let out a loud gasp when she happened upon the local news broadcast for Japan.

            Ayeka abandoned her usual propriety and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Everyone, come quick!!!!"

----------------------

            Normally Ryoko didn't like to be bothered when she was attempting something that she wasn't good at.  Especially when that something was cooking.  Not being able to taste anything was an inconvenience when you were trying to make a meal, at least in her opinion.  So when Ayeka yelled for everyone, Ryoko was only too happy to vacate the kitchen and see what was going on.

            The unusual stress levels of Ayeka's voice sent a myriad alarms off in the great scientist Washu's lab.  Washu, after glancing at her patients, hurried to the door to the house to find out what the ruckus was about.

            Sasami, with Mayuka and Ryo-Ohki, hurried from outside to see what her sister was yelling about.

            Looking at the screen, Ryoko grimaced.  The primary news story was of the "fiery metallic meteor" that had crashed into an area just outside of Tokyo.  Thankfully it appeared that no one had actually gone into the crash site yet.  However, the news couldn't let the Masaki household know if anyone had _left_ the site either.

            Ryoko looked at everyone.  "Ok, what are we going to do?  We can't let them explore the wreckage, can we?  I thought Mihoshi said something about non-space faring civilizations."

            "Well what do you propose we do Little Ryoko," Washu commented.  The little red head ignored the glare her daughter leveled at her and continued.  "We can't just waltz in there and bust them up, since that would let every one there know that most of us are not from this planet."  Washu looked solemn when she continued.  "Our best bet will be to let me work something out in the lab.  I'll try and get the remains of the ship here, and then we'll have to wait."

Washu looked everyone over.  "After that, we have to go into the city and look for any of the survivors that got away.  Our best bets are Kiyone and Mihoshi, but Mihoshi will be out of it for at least a week; Kiyone will be out for a few days while I repair her arm."

            "Just leave them to me," said a growling voice from the corner of the room.  Everyone looked over in shock as Victor walked out from the shadow he was apparently hiding in.

            "And why should we leave this to you, Mr. bounty hunter?" Ryoko said snidely as she began to grin lopsidedly.

            "Because I can get this done quicker than ye buncho' bickerin' fools, that's why," Victor retorted bluntly, no sense of malice in the words.  "None of ye know what yer dealin' with, so tis' my job to handle this."  Victor began making his way to the door of the Masaki house, checking the action on his weapons as he did so.

            Washu was grinning maliciously as she looked in the direction of the bounty hunter.  "And just how do you propose to get to Tokyo anyway?  Have you even been to Earth before Mr. Duras?"  The red haired scientist's grin got even wider as Victor stopped walking and turned to her.  "Looks like you are gonna need our help after all, young pup," she said in satisfaction.

            Victor gave Washu a hard stare at the insult she threw at him.  Thinking on it though, he realized that she **_was_** right; Not only did he not know the area he did not know the customs or have any local currency.  Sizing up the whole group, he turned to Tenchi and Washu.

            "Well then young man, and you lady Washu, would you please accompany me to this "Tokyo" to stop these pirates?"  Before Victor even finished the question, The self proclaimed greatest genius in the universe was wagging a finger at him.

            "You should know better than to take a doctor from her patients Victor," Washu admonished.  "That leaves Tenchi and the girls."  Washu turned to her cyan haired daughter and the regal form of princess Ayeka.  "If the two of you go, don't you dare use any of you powers.  We can't afford to make our presence any more known than it already is."

            Washu stared hard at the two women as she went on.  "That means no flying, teleporting, or blowing things up Ryoko dear."  She quickly pointed a finger at Ayeka, who was beginning to laugh at Ryoko.  "That means no force fields from you, and your guardians stay here, understand?"  Seeing the look she was getting from both of the girls she just turned away and began heading for her Lab.  She stopped suddenly and turned back to the group.

            "Oh yeah, I almost forgot.  Here Tenchi," Washu said as she threw a small gray device at Tenchi.  "This will allow you to track the guys who are busting up Tokyo.  It only works in short range though."  Washu crossed her arms and stood there, waiting patiently for someone to congratulate her.

            Tenchi began to sweat.  Figuring that he should compliment Washu before someone turned into a water sprite, he bowed hurriedly and said, "Thank you Little Washu.  You really are the greatest scientific genius in the universe."  Washu began cackling as she turned to leave.

            As the red-headed scientist opened the door to her lab and entered, her voice could be hear saying, "I really **_am_** a genius."  More high pitched, nasal cackling erupted from the entry to the sub space lab as the door closed.  Everyone looked and each other and began to sweat.  After a moment, everyone recovered and the arguing between Ayeka and Ryoko resumed.

            Ayeka turned to Ryoko, a grin on her face.  "How does it feel to have to act normal for once, eh Ryoko?  Since I know you couldn't go without your powers, it looks like Tenchi and I will be going without you," Ayeka said with relish.  Ryoko absorbed the information and looked as if she were preparing a suitable retort.

            Meanwhile, Tenchi was taking all of this in and trying to figure out what to do.  He knew that if he told Ryoko to stay then it would hurt her immensely, and Ayeka would be nearly impossible to deal with for the next few days.  But if he told Ayeka to stay, he would hurt the violet haired princess' feelings while giving Ryoko something else to tease her about.  He couldn't very well ask them both to stay, even if that was the safest course of action.  Sometimes, Tenchi reflected with a slight frown, there just weren't any GOOD answers.

            Both of the girls turned to Tenchi, seeking to use him to settle the argument when the bounty hunter spoke up.

            "Alright, that's enough," Victor said in a snarl.  "Tenchi and Meself will go into Tokyo, nobody else."  When Ayeka and Ryoko both looked at him in disbelief, he growled at them, "The two of ye will cause way to much commotion.  I can handle this on me own, but I need a guide.  Besides, Tenchi shouldn't need any bodyguards.  He oughta be able to take care of himself."

            Both of the girls looked worriedly at Tenchi.  Working up a little bit of courage, Tenchi said to both of the women, "I think Victor is right.  The more of us we take in to Tokyo, the better chance they have of noticing us.  Don't worry," he said hurriedly as both Ayeka and Ryoko looked ready to pout, "I won't get in on the actual fighting, I'll just get him there.  O.K.?" And both girls nodded glumly.

            Tenchi ran to his room and grabbed the Tenchi-ken as Victor told Washu of the plan.  When they both met up at the bottom of the stairs, Tenchi and Victor nodded at each other and headed out the door.

            Ayeka headed up to her room to be alone while she prayed for Tenchi's safety.  When Sasami went into the kitchen to start dinner, Ryoko took Mayuka and headed for the lake.  Hopefully taking care of Tenchi's daughter would help her stop worrying.  She just had the nagging doubt that something awful was going to happen.  Ryoko looked out over the lake and sighed as the setting sun set the sky ablaze.

            "Tenchi, be careful....."

--------------------------

            After taking a bus into downtown Tokyo, Tenchi and Victor stood on a corner and surveyed the nightlife of the city.  Both stood collecting their thoughts.

            Tenchi looked toward the night sky and reflected on his multitude of problems.  Hopefully this would be a good way to prove to his self that, though he cared for all his houseguests, he didn't need to depend on any of them.

            The scarred bounty hunter, on the other hand, was cursing his own luck.  _Why now_? he thought to himself.  _Why did I have to find her now?  Now that I've found her, there's no way I can leave.  But what excuse do I use to justify staying_?  Victor's shoulders sagged with the burden of his thoughts.

            After a few moments of contemplation, Tenchi turned to the taller Victor.  After looking at the scanner that Washu had given him, Tenchi pointed towards the one of the seediest sections of town.  Unfortunately, the area the locater was pointing to was considered the "fighting" district, where many illegal gladiatorial fights were waged.

            "It looks like one or more of them is over here, Victor," the black haired boy said, gesturing down a side street and nudging the preoccupied bounty hunter to get his attention.

            The taller bounty hunter looked in the direction the boy was pointing.  Growling a bit, he stalked in the direction of a run down warehouse that stood at the end of a darkened alley.  As he walked forward, Victor slipped on a pair of black metallic wristbands and placed an earphone and connected mike over his right ear.  About fifty meters from the warehouse, he stopped and looked at Tenchi, who was following him hesitantly.  Sighing, Victor threw the young man a similar set of bracers.

            As Tenchi caught the bracers, Victor said, "Put these on young' in.  This'll help keep ye safe from the higher tech weaponry, iffin ye choose to follow me in."  He nodded when he caught the determination in Tenchi's eyes.  "Good.  Glad to know I have someone watchin' me back."

            As the two of them began walking, side -by- side, towards the warehouse, Victor looked over at Tenchi.  The young prince was trying to ignore his nervousness that much was apparent to the bounty hunter.  But Victor could see the eagerness to prove himself buried within the brown-eyed boy, and had to smile a bit.

            _To be that young and idealistic again_, Victor thought to himself with a sigh.  _Ah well, it can't be helped.  Looks like I'll just have to keep an eye on him and make sure the lad doesn't get carried away_.

            Just then the band on Victor's right arm beeped once.  Victor looked at it in surprise, and then replied into the mouthpiece.  "Guardian, what's the problem," he said in a whisper.

            A feminine voice came through in his earpiece.  "I have detected an astral energy pattern following the two of you Sir.  It appears to be keyed into the young boy and not yourself though."  Victor nodded his head once as he scanned the area.  After searching for a moment, Victor finally saw the disturbance his computer had alerted him to.

            "All right Guardian.  Classify the energy signature as friendly.  Maintain radio silence from this point forward.  Victor out."

            The trench coat wearing bounty hunter turned to his ally.  "Well Tenchi, are ye ready?"  When Tenchi nodded an affirmative Victor grinned.  "Let's do this then."

            Victor drew the large blaster that he kept on his side.  He cracked open the loading mechanism and loaded one shell in the chamber.  He looked at Tenchi with a strange look in his eyes.  Tenchi gulped, since he knew that look.  It was the look Ryoko had before she went and did something reckless.

            "Oh yeah, Tenchi.  One last thing," Victor said with a grin as he aimed the gun at the doors to the warehouse.  "Don't get in front of this gun when I am about to fire.  This thing has a lot of Kick........" and with a laugh Victor pulled the trigger.

            Nothing happened initially, and then the gun began to hum.  A loud bang, louder than the fireworks Tenchi had heard during any carnival, issued from the gun as a shell propelled itself toward the door.  

            With a roar straight from the bowels of hell itself, the doors to the warehouse exploded in a ball of fire.  There were screams issuing from within the building, but Victor ignored them.  Putting the cannon away, he drew his smaller pistol and headed within the warehouse.  Tenchi was only behind him by about ten yards, igniting the Tenchi-ken as he charged into the wreckage.

-----------------------

            Ryoko floated outside the warehouse, intangibly watching the unfolding battle.  She wanted so much to go and help her beloved Tenchi, but her fear held her back.  Tenchi had asked everyone to stay behind, so she couldn't let him know she had followed him.  The Cyan haired girl had been worried for a moment when the bounty hunter had looked in her direction, but apparently he had not seen her astral form.  

            Ryoko got even more worried when Victor said something about his gun and blew the doors of a warehouse away.  She was shocked to see Tenchi hesitate only briefly before following Victor into danger.  All of her instincts told her to help him, but Ryoko stayed where she was.  Tenchi had asked, so all she could do was watch.  Instead of torturing herself by waiting outside the building to see what happened, Ryoko let her Astral from fade away as the senses of her real body took over again.  

            Ryoko looked around the dock she was sitting at.  The setting sun reflected itself off of the lake in front of her, creating a beautiful and tranquil scene.  Glancing down, she saw the baby Mayuka still soundly asleep in her lap.  Sighing, she rocked the baby and watched the sun set.

--------------------------

            Meanwhile, Tenchi was trying his best to not get swamped by the chaos inside the burning warehouse.  After running inside, both Tenchi and Victor had seen the fire dancing eerily off of the hull of smaller ship.  Tenchi had noted with dread that the turrets on the ship were still operational.  The two men jumped for cover when the turrets opened fire.  Tenchi saw Victor pull out his larger sidearm and begin returning fire with the turrets.  

            The air was filled with the sound of massive explosions.  The automated turrets continued to rain fiery death on the floor and the cargo as Tenchi and Victor ran madly about, trying to avoid getting hit.  Victor jumped behind a column to dodge a shot from a turret.  Gritting his teeth against the heat and sound, he turned from behind the pillar and fired.  After a the explosion faded, the front of the ship was little more than slag.

            Tenchi ran out from behind the boxes he was hiding only to be met with a barrage of laser fire.  It was a good thing that Victor had given him the shield bracers, or he would be hard pressed to continue.  The shields deflected the blasts from the lasers quite easily, giving the young warrior the time needed to get close enough to use the Tenchi-ken.  

            The laser fire was coming from metallic creatures exiting from the bay of the ship.  These creatures looked to be vaguely humanoid.  They had glowing red eyes as they ran hunched over.  The arms and legs were thin and smooth, built more for movement than brute strength.  Instead of a left hand, their arms ended in a nasty looking gun.  As the creatures spread out, small groups of them headed towards both Tenchi and Victor.

            As Tenchi ran forward, Victor was busy firing away at the robots.  Tenchi noted he was a good shot as Victor managed to wipe out about five of the robots by the time Tenchi had gotten within striking distance.  Out of the corner of his eye, Tenchi saw Victor blasting away as he headed toward the bay of the ship.

            Running as fast as his legs would take him, Tenchi Masaki ran headlong into the middle of a group of robots.  With laser blasts bouncing harmlessly of his shield, Tenchi began hacking into his robotic assailants.  Tenchi ducked as one of the robots swung an energy blade at his head.  Seeing an opening, the young Masaki sliced his sword upward through the robots arms and kicked his assailant to the ground.  Acting quickly, Tenchi sliced through the chest of the robot and watched its eyes go dim.  Turning at the exactly right moment, Tenchi brought his sword up and sliced a robot in half as it attempted to claw at him.  Getting his bearing, Tenchi saw that Victor had blasted his way to the ship, and that only the three robots near him were still standing.  Tenchi took a deep breath and concentrated on the foes before him.

            The young prince dashed towards the remaining robotic assailants, determined to finish them quickly.  After dispatching the last robot, Tenchi scanned the battlefield.  He saw Victor fighting some pirates at the entrance of the ship and headed in that direction 

            Victor had abandoned the use of his pistol in favor of his fists.  Both of his hands were covered in a shimmering field of force that Tenchi presumed was some sort of energy field.  The young Jurain prince had never seen anything like it.  The embattled bounty hunter was not faring well in close combat.  He was grim of countenance as he danced with three pirates in a swift and deadly waltz.

            Tenchi extinguished the Tenchi-Ken and picked up a thin pipe.  _Why kill these people if I don't have to?_  Tenchi thought to himself.  He ran up behind a pirate as the criminal was about to stab into Victor with a large dagger.  Swinging swiftly, and surely, Tenchi slammed his pipe into the back of the pirate, knocking him out cold.

            One of the other pirates saw Tenchi's actions and turned on the young man.  "Oh, so you wanna play too?  I'm gonna carve you up little man."  The pirate advanced on Tenchi with an energy blade in his hand.

            Tenchi kept the pipe in his hands even as the pirate advanced.  When he saw his target raise the energy sword overhead, Tenchi struck.  With quickness and precision Tenchi slammed the pipe into the pirates face, knocking the man to the ground, senseless.

            Victor saw this and began grinning.  _Hrmph_. he thought to himself.  _The kid is good.  I don't want him showing me up, so it's time to end this_.  Victor blocked his attacker's blade with his right hand.  With his left hand he decked the pirate, sending his hapless victim sailing into a nearby wall.  The thug slammed into a wall with a sickening thud.  He grabbed the shirt of the pirate and lifted him easily off of the ground.

            "Alright, punk.  Where's the rest of your gang?"  Victor asked the man.  When the man began to stammer, he shook him violently.  "Just tell me what I want to know and you'll only get time.  Don't, and you won't ever walk again, got it?"  Seeing the frightened look on the man's face, Tenchi felt sorry for the criminal.  "Now where is the rest of your gang?"

            The man finally gave all the information to Victor, and the bounty hunter dropped him.  After victor dropped the man, he turned to Tenchi. 

            "Thanks fer the save, lad.  Iffin ye hadn't helped, I prolly would hove bought the farm," Victor said as he winced a bit as he grabbed his side.  Tenchi could see that Victor was bleeding from at least three different cuts, and the one on his side was very deep.  "I prolly coulda taken them without yer help, but I am glad I had it."

            Tenchi only nodded as he tore a large portion of his shirt into bandages.  He proceeded to bind the wound on Victor's side as best he could.  After stemming the flow of blood, at least in part, Tenchi stepped away.  

            "It's the best I can do Victor" Tenchi said with regret in his voice.  "I can't do more without an first aid kit."

            "It'll have to do kid," Victor said with a sigh.  He grimaced a bit a bit as he hit a button on his wrist brace and spoke into his headpiece.  "Guardian, here are the coordinates for the pirates and their gear.  Wait for my signal, and transport the items to where I say, got it?"

            Victor punched another set of buttons on his arm and spoke again.  "Washu.  Come in Washu.  I have the coordinates that I needed, but I need a place to send the crew and the ship.  Over."  After listening for a moment, Victor grinned.  "That'll be fine Wash...err, Little Washu.  Thank ye again."  Victor set down his arm and sighed.

            Tenchi just sat on the floor, looking at the damage done.  He looked up at Victor and said, "Can we go now?  I bet everyone is getting worried.  Besides, I don't know how we are gonna answer for this."  He shook his head as he stood next to Victor.

            "Don't worry, lad.  We are leaving right now.  Guardian, body slip by two to the Masaki Residence," he said into his mouthpiece.  He looked at Tenchi and grinned.

            Tenchi only had a moment to think before he saw nothing but blue light and vanished into thin air.


	3. Chapter, The Third

Welcome again!  Looks like some of you actually do like my work! ^_^   Anyway, I don't own the Tenchi Universe or the OAV rights; just a copy of the DVD's.  Pioneer/AIC owns all things Copyright to Tenchi (Except Victor and this actual story, but hey.).  

            Just as a side not, this is still based after Manenatsu No Eve and the Mihoshi Special.  Since there aren't a lot of OAV Kiyone references in the Canon, I am making a bit of her personality up on the fly, so bear with me.  I am borrowing much of her personality from Universe.  If you don't like what I am doing with her, then let me know so I can re-write her personality, ok?  On with the Fic! 

                                                Illusions of Life: Sins of the Past 

**_                                                            Chapter the Third_**

            The clang of Machinery and the sounds of animals both large and small filled the air.  In the midst of this chaos, a small garden bloomed.  This garden had many beautiful flowers and plants, with a small stream that ran down the middle of it.  Sitting near the picturesque landscape, a small figure floated on a large pillow.  Her most notable attribute was an absolutely massive mane of pinkish red hair that fell almost to the floor.  Dressed in a black, short-sleeved shirt and some khaki shorts, the diminutive figure is typing away at a shadowy computer that is in front of her.

             Washu sighed as she typed into her holo-computer.  _Now that Kiyone and Mihoshi are in the regenerative vats, they'll heal up just fine_, she thought to herself with a yawn.  _Now where was I?  Oh yeah, I nearly have those anti-matter volleyballs ready.  This is gonna be great_!!!   

            Suddenly there is a slight beep from her holo-top.  Looking at it in surprise, Washu began typing in a few commands.  Within moments, she had located who was sending her an encoded message.  The diminutive scientist blinked in surprise when she discovered the identity of the transmission.  _Guardian?  I didn't think that computer ever got finished_, Washu thought to her self.  _I don't get it… only people with my genetic code could have gained access to my lab in the Science Academy.  So what is it doing out?_  She shook her head in disbelief.  The computer beeped again, forcing Washu to stop her speculations, at least for the moment.  _Better find out what this is about_.

            The red headed scientist pressed a key on her holotop and the audio played over a nearby speaker.  "Washu.  Come in Washu."  She was a bit surprised to hear the voice of the bounty hunter, Victor.  "I have the coordinates that I needed, but I need a place to send the crew and the ship.  Over."  Washu smiled a bit.

            _Well, well, well.  Looks like I might be able to find out about Guardian the easy way after all_.  Grinning ear to ear, Washu opened a channel and began responding to Victor's communication.  "All right, I copy that," she said in a good imitation of a cargo shipper.  "Relay them to coordinates X5673, Y89032, Z74219.  I'll rig a hanger and a cellblock up for them."  Before Washu ended the transmission, she said, "One more thing, young pup."  There was a pause over the lines of communication.  "You have to call me…  Little Washu!!"

             Washu could almost see the bounty hunter's grin.  "That'll be fine Wash...err, Little Washu.  Thank ye again."

            The little scientist that could began typing furiously at her holo-top.  _Better get this ready.  Looks like today will be better than I had planned_!!  With a few delicate keystrokes, Washu built a fully functioning copy of a standard issue Galaxy Police detainment facility.  _You really_ **_are_**_ a genius_!!  She began cackling madly, echoes the only reply.

            A blue haze slowly lifted from in front of a shocked young man's eyes.  As his vision returned, Tenchi Masaki, caretaker-in-training of the Masaki shrine, saw a small, squat building and a landing dock appear before him… and nothing else.  Looking around hurriedly, he was a little disturbed to find nothing but a black, swirling, inky darkness.  

            Tenchi nearly jumped from his skin when he felt hand settle on his shoulder.

            "Aaugh!!"  He screamed as he spun around.  Tenchi immediately relaxed when he saw the grinning bounty hunter standing behind him.  Victor started to chuckle as he brought his hand back down to his side.

            Well, me boy, yer reflexes haven't dulled much," Victor said as he chuckled.  Motioning to small door standing conspicuously next to the building, he began walking in its direction.  "Come on lad, let's go and get some rest.  Then, it's time to play good cop, bad cop."  Victor looked over at Tenchi as the young boy began following him.  "Guess who gets to be the good cop, eh?"

            "Let me guess," Tenchi said with a smirk, "I get the honors?"

            "Oooh, the boy does have a sense of humor.  There's hope for him yet!"

            Tenchi looked at the bigger man and grinned.  He began thinking about a conversation the two had had on the way into Tokyo.  Victor had told him what sort of armaments the pirates had, as well as a little bit about their tactics.  Then the bounty hunter had gone on to talk about his original target.  Apparently, the man was wanted for being some sort of rebel.  To Tenchi, though, it did not explain the enormous bounty on the man's head.  Thinking about it, Tenchi was a little bit curious as to exactly why this man knew so much about his 'prey', as Victor called it.  

            "Victor," Tenchi called out as the two walked towards the building, "How did you know so much about the pirates?"

            Victor looked over his shoulder.  "Once ye fight one pirate, ye've fought them all."

            "But what about the bounty your after?  What's so special about him?"

            The bounty hunter turned to Tenchi, his eyes cloudy, and his expression unreadable.  Tenchi swallowed hard at the set of Victor's face, but stood there unmoving under the scrutiny.  Finally, after the silence seemed to envelope and smother the duo, Victor spoke.

            "Do ye really want to know that, Tenchi?" the grizzled veteran asked.  Tenchi swallowed again and nodded.  "Fine, I'll tell ye.  The bounty I'm after has connections to someone I'm after. I need to have that information, whatever the cost."  Victor said in a low growl, with the first real hint of emotion in his voice.  He looked away and began walking toward the door again.

            Trying to recover from his shock, Tenchi hurried over to the bounty hunter and fell in step alongside him.  _So this is a personal vendetta_, Tenchi thought.  _Well, maybe we can all help him with this.  He seems nice enough anyway_.  Tenchi stopped his train of thought when he two of them reached the door near the small gray building.  Following behind the bounty hunter, he went through the door into the rest of Washu's lab.

The door opened into the garden that was the entrance to Washu's domain.  Tenchi stood there while Victor tried to take in everything that he saw.  The young priest noted that the bounty hunter was as confused and amazed, as he had been so long ago.

            "_This_ is in that small room underneath your stairs?"

            Tenchi could only smile at the bewilderment in Victor's voice.  "Yes.  Washu built it as soon as she decided to move in here."  He chuckled when the bounty hunter looked over, questions in his eyes.  He held up his hands.  "Don't ask me about how it works.  I never could sit through Little Washu's lectures on it."

            The young swordsman glanced down at the wound in the bounty hunter's side and frowned, noticing that it had bled through the make shift gauze he had applied to it.  "We'd better get you to Washu, that wounds not getting any better."  

            Victor nodded, and the spiky haired youth and the gray-eyed bounty hunter followed the path to the area of Washu's lab devoted to healing.

            On arrival, Tenchi noted that Washu was indeed there, floating on her ever-present cushion and typing away idly.  As he watched, the diminutive scientist would glance occasionally to the monitors of two large green tubes.  It wasn't until they had walked to within a few meters that the would-be priest recognized what was in the Tanks.

            Float in a strange liquid, attached to many wires, were the two GP that Tenchi called friend.  Neither of them appeared to be conscious as they floated in this strange liquid.  With a start, Tenchi realized that neither of his female friends was clothed.  He caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

            Looking over, Tenchi saw a strange gleam in Victor's eye.  Before the young priest could wonder at the bounty hunters strange fascination, the Priderian clutched his side in pain.  The tall Victor fell to his knees with a grunt, alerting Washu to their presence.

            The red headed scientist spun around on her floating cushion.  Her green eyes widened in surprise when she saw she had guests, but narrowed immediately when she saw the injuries to Victor.  Hopping down from her perch, Washu walked over to the pair.

            "Got yourself in a bit of a pickle have ya?"  She said conversationally as she looked over the bounty hunter.  "Well, let's get you up on a table and get those wounds looked at."  She snapped her fingers, and mechanical arms reached out for the injured Victor.  In a few moments, he found himself wearing nothing of what his boxers, lying on medical table.

            A small floating device began flying around the table, emitting a green light from a small lens.  The light moved up and down victor's body, covering him from head to toe.  And then the light was gone.  

            Washu was staring at a small screen next to the bed as the light washed over Victor.  Readouts began appearing on the screen and she frowned thoughtfully.  Once the scans were completed, she studied them a bit more before smiling and nodding.  With a grin she turned to her patient.

            "It's a good thing you Priderian's are so rugged," she said with a smile.  "I'll need to throw you in a tank for about three hours to fix you as good as new."  So saying, she pressed a button on her holotop.

            A hole opened in the floor at the based of the table.  Suddenly the table itself lifted up from the other end and Victor slid off into the hole with a splash.  The hole closed and a large cylinder rose up from the ground.  Tenchi saw that Victor was already hooked up like both Mihoshi and Kiyone, although the scarred Priderian's arms were crossed.  The look he was giving the diminutive scientist could have boiled blood, but she paid it no heed.

            She looked over at Tenchi and smiled.  "Why don't you go back to the house and get some food, Tenchi," Washu said as she started to shoo him away.  "I'll let you know as soon as…"  Both stopped and stared as warning sirens went off from Victor's tube.

            Both scientist and farmer watched as the bounty hunter's cylinder cleared to a blue liquid and sank into the floor.  A moment later, the one-eyed man was raised back up to floor level, free from the machines and looking as fit as when he arrived!

            "How?!" Washu asked in amazement.  She ran a quick diagnostic scan from where Victor was standing.  "Wow!  What have they been feeding you Victor?!  You shouldn't be any better off than you were when you went in, but my readings show you to be perfectly fine!"

            Victor nodded with a grimace.  "I've always healed quick.  Now could ye _please_ give me my clothes back?"

            "Aww, but I was admiring the view," the red head pouted playfully.  "Are you sure I can't run a few more tests on you?"  She asked, batting her eyes at him.

            "Ah…erm…"Victor hemmed in sudden embarrassment and fear.  "Mebbe later?"  He asked, more than answered the tiny scientist before him.

            Washu shrugged as she climbed back onto her cushion.  She looked over her shoulder with a wide grin and said, "I'll hold you to that young pup.  Now go get some food, and then you can go play with the pirates that you caught."  With the press of a button, Victor found himself fully dressed in his original clothing.  He blinked and walked away.  Tenchi followed, shaking his head.

            "You shouldn't have agreed to that Victor," Tenchi said, a laugh in his voice.

            Victor looked sideways at him as they approached the door they out of the lab.  "It kinna be that bad lad," he grumbled as he opened the door.

            The would-be-priest mere shook his head as they out into the house.  "Just wait until you find out what samples she wants…"

            Greeting the two weary men was the scent of mouth-watering food.  The smell originated in the kitchen, but was heading toward the dining table.  Tenchi walked over immediately, Victor not far behind.

            They were greeted by the smiling, blue haired Sasami as she set out the dishes for lunch.  "Hi Tenchi!  Hi Mr. Bounty Hunter!  Are you joining us for lunch?"

            "Yes we are Sasami."

            In little to no time, most of the house was gathered for lunch.  As everyone ate, they could not help but glance at the empty places reserved for Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Washu.  The two GP had declined lunch, citing acute cases of unconsciousness, and the diminutive scientist begged of after reminding the princess that she needed to monitor the tanks.

            Ayeka chose to break the silence.  "Lord Tenchi, what did miss Washu say about Mihoshi and Kiyone?  Will they be all right?"

            "I think so, Ayeka," the young priest replied slowly.  "Victor was only in one of the tanks for a few minutes and he was completely healed.  I can't imagine they will be in there for that long."

            Victor nodded as he at his lunch.  "I dinna think they'll recover as quickly as I did, but it won't take too long.  Another coupla hours for the green haired detective, and Mihoshi'll be out and about in a day or so."

            The blue haired princess smiled radiantly over at the bounty hunter.  "Are you sure Mr. Bounty Hunter?"  With his nod, she continued, "Great!  I can start preparing their favorite dinner tomorrow.  Yay!"

            Lunch concluded with no incidents.  Which, in and of itself, spoke volumes about the mindset of the entire household.  Finally, Victor stood.

            "C'mon lad, let's get it over with.  I wanna get this done so that I kin relax for a spell."  Tenchi nodded, and both returned to Washu's lab.

            As the two men left, the unusually quiet Ryoko looked around before cleaning up her orange-eyed charge.  "Well, I am taking Mayuka to the Onsen for a bath.  See you all later."  She rose to depart, but stopped when the lavender haired princess rose as well.

            "I don't spend as much time as I'd like with Mayuka, so I think I'll join you," Ayeka said.  With a nod from her golden-eyed counterpart, the trio left the house as well.

            Sasami looked around.  "Ok, Ryo-Ohki!  Let's getr this cleaned up, then we can go play!"

            "Mi-Yah!"  

            She felt warm and comfortable.  That was the first thing that Detective Kiyone Makibi realized about herself.  As her sense of touch slowly returned to her, she also noticed that she was hooked up to some machines.  And then it hit her; she was wet and naked.

            Kiyone's blue eyes shot open in a panic.  For a moment all she could see was a glowing green light.  When her eyes had adjusted, she saw that she was floating in some sort of green liquid in a large tank.  Looking through the glass, the green haired detective could see someone in a lab coat walking around and checking readings.  She could just make out a massive ponytail of long, pinkish-red hair.  Kiyone's muscles relaxed when she realized she was in Washu's lab.  Deciding to get the scientists attention, she moved her arm through the green liquid and tapped on the glass.

            Kiyone watched as Washu's head snapped around immediately at the sound of tapping glass.  The diminutive scientist smiled and walked over to the tube Kiyone was floating in.  Checking the readouts, Washu nodded her head and looked up to make eye contact with the blue eyed girl.

            "Well, Kiyone, looks like you _and _the bounty hunter heal faster than I thought," Washu said as she waved her hand.  Her spectral computer appeared and she began typing.  "Took you less time than expected.  Good, maybe you can help Tenchi and Victor out with their interrogations."  Washu continued typing, but the liquid in the tank slowly cleared until it was only water.  "Alright, out you go," and Washu hit a single key on the keyboard. 

            Kiyone gasped as all of the cables connecting her to machinery vanished in an instant.  She looked down as the bottom of the tank opened up and all of the water rushed out.  Kiyone closed her eyes and began to pray as she was sucked down along with the water.

            And splashed down an instant later.  Opening her eyes and taking a deep breath, Kiyone was shocked to find herself in the floating Onsen.  She was not as shocked as the occupants, though.

            Ryoko, Ayeka, and Mayuka were sitting a few feet from the newest visitor to the Onsen.  Mayuka was crying in Ryoko's arms as both of the now soaked young women stared daggers at Kiyone.  Mustering up what little pride and self-esteem she had left, Kiyone smiled at them.

            "Uh, hey girls.  What's up," she said timidly while trying to maintain a smile.  Hearing a familiar voice, Mayuka stopped crying.

            Ryoko just looked at Kiyone and sighed.  "I take it 'Mom' let you out of the tube then?"  She said to Kiyone.  Ayeka just humphed in Kiyone's direction and went back to bathing.

            "Looks that way.  She also said that Tenchi and the bounty hunter are questioning the pirates that got caught."

            "Yep.  Only saw them for a little bit since they came back from Tokyo," Ryoko sad amicably as she washed Mayuka.  "I think they're somewhere in Washu's lab.  I was gonna go over there after my bath."  Ryoko tickled the baby and got a giggle in return.  She looked back up at Kiyone.  "Wanna come with me?"

            Kiyone, meanwhile, had been watching the way that Ryoko was tending to Mayuka.  _She really **is** turning out to be the best at raising Mayuka_, Kiyone thought to herself, a warm smile on her weary face.  _I am so happy for her_.  

After hearing Ryoko's last question, she smiled a bit more and said, "Sure, Ryoko.  I want to actually see the creeps that messed with my ship."  

Kiyone decided to look around the Onsen.  It looked as though it late afternoon, so Kiyone figured she was out for most of a day.  After completing her perusal of the surroundings, she noted a few people missing.

"Where's Sasami, Ayeka?"

            The Amethyst haired princess looked over at Kiyone as she bathed.  "I believe that she is playing with Ryo-Ohki, Kiyone.  She was worried about you and Mihoshi.  She will be glad you asked about her."

            Kiyone paled visibly at what Ayeka said.  Her hand flew to her mouth.  "Oh no!!  What happened to Mihoshi?" 

Ayeka and Ryoko looked at each other, both of them perplexed at the change that had come over Kiyone.  Both were shocked further when Kiyone jumped out of the water, grabbed a towel, and ran out of the Onsen.

Ryoko just shrugged her shoulders as Ayeka shook her head.  "What's with her?"

            "I really haven't the slightest idea," Ayeka said to the cyan haired girl.  "And she seems the most level headed out of all of us…."

------------------------

            Detective First class Kiyone ran into the room that Mihoshi and she shared.  Frantically stumbling through the filthy part of the room that belonged to Mihoshi, she dove headlong into her closet, dressing as fast as she could.  In just a few minutes, Kiyone had put on a white shirt with a mid length black and red checkered dress.  After running her hands through her damp hair, the blue-eyed detective ran out of her room and down the stairs, headed for Washu's lab.

Stopping her mad rush at the door to the broom closet, Kiyone composed herself and knocked on the door before opening it.  Seeing a dark space, she took a deep breath and stepped into Washu's laboratory.

            Kiyone walked through the garden that usually appears at the entrance to the pink haired scientist's lab.  Looking around, she saw a sign that said "Medical Wing".  Sighing in relief, Kiyone walked through the archway the sign was posted on.

            The sight that greeted her Kiyone would not soon forget.  Washu was standing next to a tall cylinder filled with a glowing green liquid.  She was wearing a white lab coat over he usual attire, and was checking the readouts on a screen next to the tube.  Kiyone, however, was not looking at Washu.  She was staring into the tube.

            Floating in the cylinder was Mihoshi.  The blonde detective looked mostly whole except for the large gash in her stomach.  Even as Kiyone watched, small machines were busy passing some form of energy over the wound.  The liquid was solidifying after each pass of the beams, slowly replicating the missing flesh, bone, and blood.  A tear trickled down Kiyone's face as she watched her partner ever so slowly returned to the land of the living.

            Acting mostly on instinct, Kiyone began stumbling forward as if in a stupor.  Washu looked up when Kiyone neared.  After seeing the look on Kiyone's face, the diminutive scientist respectfully backed away from the cylinder that held Mihoshi's unconscious form.  Kiyone reached out her hand, and placed it as near to Mihoshi's face as she could.  Tears she couldn't explain rolled down her cheeks as she gazed at her partner.

            Washu took all of this in and hmmmmm'd in though.  She shook her head and walked over to Kiyone.  Placing a hand on the jade haired detective's shoulder she gently guided Kiyone from the area of the cylinder.  After seating Kiyone and pouring her a cup of tea, Washu sat across from her.  Gathering her thoughts for a moment, the green-eyed scientist began to speak.

            "Don't worry Kiyone, it's better than it looks," Washu said to the dazed detective.  "Her injuries were pretty bad, but I have the Regenerator cylinder working non-stop to heal her.  She'll be fine."  Washu continued to console Kiyone, even as she wondered at the reaction from the blue-eyed young woman.

            _This can't be a normal reaction.  With the way those two bicker, she shouldn't be this broken up.  I'll have to look into this_.  Washu collected her thoughts as Kiyone made to stand up.

            When Washu put a restraining hand on Kiyone's arm, the detective looked right at the smaller woman.  Kiyone could see Washu shudder as their eyes met.  "Where are they holding the pirates, Little Washu?  Ryoko said she would be going over there, and I intend to be there for this."  Kiyone pulled her arm away and stood with her arms crossed over her chest.  "Now where are they?"  She growled menacingly.

            At just that moment, the air shimmered next to Washu as Ryoko appeared.

            "What's up, Washu?"  Ryoko queried as she surveyed the surroundings.  "What's got you so nervou……Oh!"  She exclaimed when she turned met Kiyone's hardened stare.  Ryoko looked closely and saw the tear streaks running down Kiyone's face.  _I didn't think anything could make Kiyone cry_… she thought to herself.

            _It seems that unusual bursts of anger aren't the only strong emotion Mihoshi elicits from Kiyone, Daughter_.  Washu said telepathically.  _I expected Kiyone to be concerned, but you should have seen her initial reaction_.  Ryoko just mentally grumbled while she concentrated on Kiyone's voice.

            "Can you take us to the pirates, Ryoko?"  Kiyone asked in a cold voice.

            Ryoko looked over at her mother and saw Washu nod her head slightly.  "Well, I guess, if you really want to…"

            Yes I do."

            Ryoko looked from Kiyone to Washu, and then to the cylinder before returning her gaze to Kiyone.  Shrugging her shoulders a bit she put a hand on the teal-haired girls shoulder.

            "You ready?"  Ryoko asked.  Seeing a nod from Kiyone, she waved at Washu.  "See ya later…."  And with her last words echoing in the breeze, the two women faded from sight.

            Washu looked over at the Cylinder that held Mihoshi and sighed.  

            "I really don't want to be in the pirates shoes right now," She said to herself.  With a shrug of her shoulders Washu waved a hand and brought her holotop into existence.  "Might as well add this new data into the system.  Maybe then I can figure out what is going on with Kiyone."

-------------------------

            In a squat gray building in some dimensional fold of Washu's lab, three humanoids sat bound to chairs.  Across from the pirates, who sat fuming in the bleak room, stood Tenchi and the bounty hunter.  Tenchi sighed in resignation as he looked in the direction of the Pirates.

            "We aren't going to get anywhere with them, Victor," Tenchi said in defeat.  "I am just not good enough at this 'Good cop, Bad cop,' stuff to be any real help.  Maybe we should go and get some of the others; I'm sure Washu or Ryoko would be able to help."

            Victor crossed his arms in response.  "Yeah Tenchi, why don't you go and get Ryoko."  Tenchi nodded in the bounty hunter's direction and headed out of the building.

            Tenchi shut the door behind him as he exited the building.  Looking around, he was vaguely surprised to see Ryoko and Kiyone phase into view a few feet in front of him.

            "Oh!"  Ryoko exclaimed.  "Tenchi!  How'd you know we'd be here?"

            Tenchi just shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the Cyan-haired girl.  "I didn't.  I came out here to go and get you guys, actually.  Victor thought you might be able to help, and I wanted to check on Kiyone and Mihoshi."  Looking at Kiyone, Tenchi inadvertently shuddered at her hard and empty stare.

            The young teal haired woman walks past Tenchi and grabs the handle of the door.  The door refuses to move, no matter how hard Kiyone pulls on it.

            "Tenchi, did you lock the door?"  Ryoko asked in an uncertain voice.

            "Ummm…No."

----------------------

As Tenchi walked out the door, Victor began grinning.  _About damn time, _he thought to himself.  _Now I can find out what I want, _**my**_ way_.  Moving quickly to the door, Victor turned the latch and a low 'click' ensued.  He turned to the three pirates.

            "I tried to be nice.  Now you _will_ talk…."

                                                _End, Chapter the Third_

            Well there you have it.  The third chapter comes to a close, and I still haven't done much, eh?  Hopefully chapter 4 will be a bit longer than this one.  Please feel free to comment below.  If ye don't like how I am handling the characters, let me know so I can correct myself.  I do realize this is kinda serious and angst like, maybe squeaking in to drama, but after Chapter 4 there'll be a some lighthearted events.  And many thanks go out to everyone that has reviewed me so far, Especially SSJ4 Broli (whose Tenchi/DBZ Crossover is excellent) and Empress Galaxia.  The two of them have helped inspire things in the upcoming chapters.  Well, until later! ^_^


	4. Chapter, the Fourth

**Illusions of Life:**

Chapter, the Fourth 

            White, puffy clouds floated lazily in the Azure sky.  Ayeka noticed this as she folded the laundry and hung the linens.  _If only my mood were as beautiful and positive as the sky today_, she thought to herself gloomily.  The princess was dressed in a simple lavender sundress with white and pink flowers on it.  Ayeka had been folding clothes before lunch, as is her habit.  Usually she could count on Kiyone's help, but the teal haired detective was currently interrogating some space pirates with Tenchi, Ryoko, and the bounty hunter Victor.

            Ayeka paused when she ran over the list of who was interrogating the pirates.  _So Ryoko and Tenchi are spending_** more**_ time with each other._  Sighing, Ayeka was a bit surprised when it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would.  What would she do if Tenchi chose Ryoko? _ Oh rubbish, Ayeka.  Now stop thinking like that, _Ayeka chided herself.  _You know perfectly well that someone as kind, gentle, innocent and honorable, as Tenchi would never pick that Bakemono over a beautiful princess such as yourself…_

Ayeka let out a bark of laughter.  "Who are you kidding, Ayeka?  He doesn't care that you are a princess, just like he doesn't care that Ryoko used to be the most wanted space pirate in the universe.  He only cares about who we are," and the pink-eyed princess stifled a sob.  "Who I am…"

            A plaintive wail could be heard from the crib a few feet away, jolting Ayeka out of her thoughts.  Shaking her head, Ayeka stood and walked over to the floating crib.  Sitting in the center of the apparatus was a blue haired baby in a white dress.  Mayuka was alternating between looking at an empty bottle on the edge of the crib and crying.

            "Oh, so you want another bottle?"  Ayeka said with a smile.  "My oh my don't you eat quite a bit.  If you keep this up you'll start acting like Ryoko, won't you?"  Ayeka was slightly non-plussed when Mayuka giggled at Ryoko's name.  "So you like her too," the purple haired princess sighed.  "Like father like daughter," Ayeka mumbled as she picked up the baby.  

            "Come along, let's get you a new bottle.  We can go see Auntie Sasami, ok?"  Ayeka said as she carried the little baby into the house.  She walked through the glass door and into the kitchen.  Looking around, Ayeka saw that here sister was indeed in the middle of making lunch.  From the looks of it, Sasami was in the middle of preparing another American dish.  Hamburgers, she thought they were called.  Not Ayeka's favorite, since you were supposed to eat with your hands, but Kiyone and Mihoshi liked them.  And since Mihoshi should be out soon, Ayeka figured her little sister was making a meal that the two recovering GP would enjoy.

            Mayuka let out a small cry.  Sasami, alerted to the other occupants in the room, turned around.  "Oh, hello Sister, Mayuka.  Do you need something?"

            "Yes, actually Sasami.  Could you prepare a bottle of formula for Mayuka?  She is still hungry after the first; she is eating more and more every day."

            Sasami nodded and climbed off of the small stool at the kitchen sink.  Ayeka noticed with a smile that the young, blue-haired princess almost didn't need the stool anymore.  _She's growing up so fast,_ Ayeka thought as she watched Sasami prepare the bottle.  As Ayeka watched her sister, Her thoughts drifted over to a conversation the two had just yesterday, after breakfast.

_"Sister, why do you keep fighting with Ryoko?" the youngest royal princess asked of her older sibling.  "She didn't do anything wrong, but you yelled at her anyway.  What's she done to you to make you hate her so?"_

_"How can I not hate someone who's so slothful, wild, boorish, self-confident, free…."  Ayeka stopped herself; She didn't like where this list was going.  Did she really hate her cyan haired rival?  Or did she just hate the rivalry?  Ayeka was shaken when she realized she didn't really know anymore._

_"Ryoko's not that bad sister, you just have to giver her a chance," Sasami yelled at her purple haired sister.  Seeing the glower Ayeka gave her, she decided to try a different approach.  "Besides Ayeka, Tenchi hasn't chosen either of you.  Tenchi would tell you in person if he did something like that, you know that."  Ayeka could only nod in agreement.  Ayeka sat in a chair, and Sasami climbed in to her sister's lap, her arms around her older sister's neck._

_"Ayeka, would you make Ryoko leave if Tenchi picked you?"  The blue haired princess asked her sister after they held each other for a few moments._

_"I don't know Sasami.  Ryoko wouldn't want to leave, especially with Mayuka and Washu here."  Ayeka grimaced a bit, angry with herself for even thinking so cruelly.  She knew she had been raised much better than that.  "No, I wouldn't make Ryoko leave; I couldn't break us all up just because Tenchi will eventually choose me."_

Sasami lifted her face from her sister's chest and looked Ayeka in the eyes.  The first crown princess of Jurai was shocked to see tears there.  "Will… Will we have to leave if he picks Ryoko?"  The fear in Sasami's voice made Ayeka's heart wrench.

So this is what she is afraid of most_, Ayeka thought in sudden understanding.  _If I were to leave then she would have to come with me_.  Ayeka sighed and stroked her sister's blue hair.  "No, little Sasami, we won't go since Tenchi won't choose that monster woman."  Ayeka smiled down at her sister and continued softly, "Even if for some unknown reason he doesn't choose a certain lovely and talented First Princess, we still won't leave.  Not until you are grown a bit and ready to leave, ok?"  _

_Sasami's large pink eyes widened in hope, a small smile trying to force its way onto her features.  "Do you mean it Ayeka?"  Ayeka just nodded with a soft smile on her face.  The smile, before only sneaking onto her face, blossomed into a joyous expression as Sasami hugged her sister tighter.  "Thank you Sister!!  I was so worried I'd have to leave my friends and family here.  Thank you _**so**_ much!!"  Ayeka just hugged her sister back._

_"You welcome Sasami.  I could no more leave my friends and family here than you could."_

_Sasami jumped out of her sister's arms, renewed hope and happiness evident in the bounce in her step.  _

_"Do you need me for anything Ayeka?  If not, then I have to get lunch and dinner started."  Ayeka just sighed and walked to the onsen to take a bath._

"Ok, the bottles done.  Ayeka.  Ayeka, the bottle's done.  Ayeka…**_ Ayeka_**_!!_"

Ayeka shook her head as she left her recollections, nodding and taking the bottle of formula for Mayuka.  Gathering the baby in her arms, the purple haired princess walked in the direction of the living room to watch TV.  As she passed the stairs, she glanced at the closet door.  _I wonder what they are doing right now?_  Ayeka sat on the couch and began feeding the midnight-haired baby.

"What do you mean, 'No'!  You just walked out the door a minute ago Tenchi," Kiyone yelled in surprise.  She watched as the young man, Tenchi just shrugged his shoulders, confusion evident on his face.

Ryoko shook her head and walked over to the door.  Giving it a yank, she was shocked that she couldn't rip the door off of the hinges.  "All right, time to play hardball," the space pirate said as she formed an orange ball of energy in her hand.  She paused before she threw the ball when Ryoko felt a hand on her shoulder.  She looked over and it was Tenchi.

"There's got to be another way Ryoko," Tenchi said.  "There isn't a lot of room in there, you might hurt Victor or the helpless pirates."  

Kiyone walked up and looked at the door's locking mechanism.  _Great,_ she thought.  _It just has to be an electronic lock…_ Kiyone thought for a minute, trying to find a solution.  Kiyone's eyes lit up and she grinned when she remembered **who **built this place.  She turned to Ryoko.

"Hey Ryoko," Kiyone said.  Ryoko was looking at the door, trying to think of a way in.  _Must be unusual for the pirate, trying to think of a way _**in**_to a prison,_ Kiyone thought with a smirk.

"Yeah Kiyone," Ryoko said distractedly, "what?  Got an idea on how to get in?"

Kiyone spoke up, "Yeah, I do.  Since Washu built this thing, contact her and have her open the lock."  Ryoko just shrugged indifferently.

"Ok," the space pirate said.  Focusing her thoughts, she opened her connection to Washu.  

_Washu, _Ryoko said telepathically, _we need some help._  She felt the mad scientist snort in amusement and took that as a cue to continue.  _Victor has locked us all out of the lockup.  Can you open the door?_

Ryoko got the sense, through the link, of movement.  _Sorry little Ryoko,_ came Washu's reply.  _It looks like he used the manual lock, not the electronic one._  The cyan haired girl grimaced a bit at both Washu's name for her and the answer she had just received.  _I'll talk to you later Ryoko, I'm in the middle of an important experiment._  Ryoko felt the link close after Washu's last comment.  Forming another energy ball, she turned to Tenchi and Kiyone.

"Looks like he locked the door manually," she said to her fellows.  She turned to the door and called out over her shoulder, "Get ready!"

Kiyone and Tenchi put a hand over their eyes as Ryoko threw the energy ball directly at the door.  With an echoing boom, the door blew off its hinges and flew into the small building.  The three friends walked into a building and looked around in shock.

The inside of the room was a wreck, mostly thanks to Ryoko's entrance.  However, one of the pirates, the one still at the table, looked different than the rest.  The pirate was dusty from the explosion, and a gash on his face could have been from a piece of shrapnel, but his eyes were what Kiyone noticed first.  His eyes were completely white and unseeing; there were also scorch marks at the pirates temples.  The three onlookers were shocked into speechlessness.  Then Victor stood up and rounded on them.

"What in Duras do ye think yer doing?!?" Victor yelled in rage.  Kiyone noticed, with mounting anger, that he was wringing his right hand. The hand had smoke rolling off of it. "I was handling evrythin' till ye three barged in.  And now…"

Kiyone stopped him in mid-tirade.  "And now I ought to be booking you for cruelty to prisoners, you damned Bounty hunter."  She stomped forward until she was within inches of Victor.  "All of you are just the same.  Don't have any respect for due process, you all think its fine and dandy to treat prisoners however you want…"

Ryoko turned to Tenchi and pulled him out of the room.  "I think we should leave them alone," she whispered.  At his nod, she willed both of them to the door of Washu's Lab.

The door to the lab opened from within just after Mayuka finished her bottle.  The first crown princess of Jurai looked up to see Tenchi and Ryoko exiting the lab.  Both looked slightly nervous as they occasionally glanced back into the darkness.  _Maybe their worried about Kiyone and Mihoshi_, Ayeka thought to herself.  Tenchi and Ryoko walked over to where Ayeka was sitting with Mayuka.  The little girl started giggling when she saw the brown-eyed boy and the cyan haired girl, holding her little arms out.  Tenchi smiled and walked over.

Tenchi picked his daughter up from where she had been sitting.  "How's daddy's little girl doing today?"  He smiled when Mayuka giggled and patted his face.  "Oh, you wanna spend some time with your Daddy, eh?  Ok," Tenchi said in a kind tone.  He looked at both Ryoko and Ayeka before adding, "I'm going to spend some time with my daughter today, so neither of you needs to watch her."  The young man smiled at both of them and left the room.

Remembering her earlier conversation with Sasami, Ayeka decided that now would be a good time to clear some things up with her golden-eyed rival

"Ryoko, I'd like a word with you."

Ryoko stopped as she was floating out of the house.  "Can it wait princess?  I didn't get enough out of this morning's bath so I am going to the Onsen to relax.  If you wanna talk to me, then meet me there in a little bit."  Ryoko turned away from the princess and added as she faded away, "but wait at least an hour, princess, I want to **_relax_** for a bit before you come barging in."  Laughing heartily, Ryoko teleported away.

"Well I never!"  Ayeka exclaimed.  Still grumbling a bit, the purple haired princess headed outside to finish the laundry.  She saw the youngest male Masaki taking his little girl to a forest path.

            Tenchi and Mayuka were traveling through the forest at the base of the mountain.  The woods were alive with the sounds of birds, animals and insects engaged in the roles delegated to them as creatures of the world.  The sunlight peered through the canopy of the forest; shadows played about the base of the trees and on the forest floor making the very land itself seem alive.

            Turning his gentle eyes down on the baby held in his arms, the young father side in contentment.  His daughter was looking around at the forest in wide-eyed wonder; her orange orbs would alternate from the forest to her father, her smile never leaving her face.

            _This is such a simple thing,_ Tenchi thought to himself.  _And I would have been denied this without waking Ryoko from the cave._  Walking along, he crossed a sturdy bridge over a fast flowing river.  He was near Funaho; the would-be priest could hear the water babbling around its base as it flowed into the river.  Sighing, he continued on.

            "Miya!"

            Stopping at the sound of the cabbit and his daughter's giggle, Tenchi saw Ryo-Ohki sitting on a large stone just off of the path.  Her large ears were perked out as she regarded the two walking towards her.  With a smile, the cabbit jumped off of the rock and ran to the young man and his rambunctious daughter.  

            Ryo-Ohki stopped and miya'd plaintively at Tenchi's feet.  With a smile he bent and scooped up the fuzzy brown creature.  Setting the little cabbit on his left shoulder, he watched as Mayuka turned to her newest companion.  

            Tenchi watched as Mayuka laughed at the cabbit.  Still smiling he continued his walk.  Until he finished his walk, the smile never left the content father's face.

Meanwhile, an argument had been gaining volume and vehemence in a special area of Washu's lab.  In a small replica of a Galaxy Police detention center a Galaxy Police officer and bounty hunter have been having an argument about "extracting" information from the prisoners.

"Whaddya mean I can't lay a finger on 'em?  How're ye supposed to get any good information out of them?!?!"

"You get the information from the _proper_ channels!  You just simply cannot, under _any _circumstances, **_beat_** the information out of someone!!"  Yelled the teal-haired GP Kiyone Makibi.  In her view, the bounty hunter, Victor had crossed the line and wasn't any better than the criminals that had just been apprehended.

            "I dinna beat the information out of him detective.  Iffin ye hadn't interrupted, he would have been fine!"

            Kiyone was a testament to fury as she stared at her gray-eyed counterpart.  "Listen hear, buddy.  You cannot do anything that could hurt a prisoner like you did.  There are rules and regulations about interrogation, you know!!"

Victor crossed his arms and looked down at the shorter woman.  "Yes, detective, I **_can_**.  I donna have to follow your rules and ye know it."  Seeing Kiyone about ready to explode, he continued, "This argument's moot anyway; I already have all the information I need.  Good day."  And he walked out of the building.

Kiyone was beside her self with rage.  _How _**dare**_ he say that to a galaxy police officer?! _  She looked ready to say something when Kiyone heard Victor's voice from outside the building.

"Don't forget to book them _Detective_…" 

After about an hour, Ayeka had finished her chores.  Setting the cleaned and folded laundry in the living room to be sorted, the purple haired princess looked around.  _I guess now would be as good a time as any to talk to that monster woman._  _She's probably still in the Onsen, that lazy good for nothing.  _Ayeka collected both Sasami and her laundry, and then headed upstairs to their room.  After setting the laundry down and gathering a towel, she proceeded to the Onsen.

Arriving in the Onsen, the princess saw that her quarry was indeed still here.  Seemingly half asleep in the water, Ryoko was a picture of calm and tranquility.  Next to her sprawled form were a few bottles of sake, though only one appeared to be empty.  Ayeka sighed and got into the water.

"Took you long enough princess," Ryoko said lazily as she opened one golden eye.

Ayeka took a place next to the former space pirate.  She sat in the water for a few minutes, thinking on how she wished to broach the subject of her inquiry.  She looked up to see Ryoko offering her a saucer of sake.  

            Ayeka took the saucer and drank deeply; when the saucer was empty, she reached over and took a bottle from the tray near her rival.  _Might as well loosen up a bit_, the princess thought to herself.  The two women sat near each other in the spacious Onsen, drinking and collecting their thoughts.

            Victor left the detention area quickly, lest the green haired detective see the smile on his face.  After hearing her howl after him, he let out a bark of laughter.  _Just like old times, _he thought to himself.  Looking around, the trench coat wearing hunter realized he had no way of getting out of here.

Just as he began reaching for his communicator, Victor felt a sudden lurch.  His vision blurred, and when it cleared he was in another part of Washu's lab.  The diminutive scientist was sitting on a floating pillow next to two large cylinders, one conspicuously empty.  Victor's eyes narrowed when he saw the blond detective, Mihoshi, floating in the other tube.  Almost all of her wounds were completely gone, save for a small gash in her side.

"Done extracting your information I see," said a nasal voice from right behind him.  Spinning quickly, the tall bounty hunter was amazed and surprised to see Washu standing directly behind him.  "So now I want to extract some information from _you_," she continued, a wicked grin on her face.  "For starters, I want to know how you know both of the GP."

Victor glowered down at her.  "That is none of yer damned business."  He let out a startled grunt when he felt himself grabbed and pinned to a table by robotic arms.

"Tsk Tsk, young pup," Washu scolded.  "You should know better than to insult the greatest genius in the universe, especially in her own lab." 

            She turned when a warning claxon went off and she heard the clank of metal from behind her.  Washu gasped when she saw all of the robotic arms had let go of the bounty hunter.  She noticed that he had one of the tentacles in his hand as he got off of the table.  Both his hand and his patched eye were glowing with a dark blue radiance.

"And you should make sure you know who you're dealing with before trying scare tactics, Lady Washu," Victor growled at her.  He was breathing heavily, as if whatever he had done to free himself seemed to have drained him.

            Washu backed away from him, fear rampant on her face.  She watched as he stopped in front of the Tank that Mihoshi was in.  The scarred Priderian looked into the beaker for a long moment and the eerie aura surrounding him faded.  He turned back to Washu and nodded toward the floating detective.

"Because of her, I won't harm ye Washu, or anyone here for that matter.  Ye have my word."  Victor watched Washu exhaled a long held breath .  "Just don't try and subdue me again."

Washu walked forward, and as she did so a change came over her.  Suddenly, where a 12 year old had stood just moments before, a fully mature, and fully angry, Washu stood staring the one eyed bounty hunter square in the face.  "I don't know how you got out of those restraints, but you _are _going to answer my questions."  

            She watched as Victor's jaw clenched.  Waving her hand, her spectral computer appeared near her right hand.  Hitting a single key, an amazingly supple tree sprung up behind Victor and grappled all of his limbs.  Washu stood there as the bounty hunter struggled to get free, with no avail.  His hands and eye began glowing again, but this time he remained bound.

"Not so cocky when you are held by organics, are ya?" she asked with a grin, reverting to her pint sized body.  "Now, are you going to tell me about your link to the GP and Guardian, or do you want me to put you in a neural vice?"  Victor struggled madly for a moment, then subsided.  He nodded his head once at Washu, and she took that as a gesture of submission.  "Alright then, since we're all friends here," and she hit a button on her holotop, setting Victor free.

The tall bounty hunter rubbed his wrist as he glared at Washu.  "I'll tell ye, alright," he said in a low growl, "but it goes no further than yerself.  I can't let the others know, not just yet."  

Washu nodded.  _This is my chance!  You really _**are **_agenius!  _She thought to her self with a maniacal grin.  She started typing in to her computer as Victor began talking.

"I'll start back at the beginning, when I met Kiyone.  It all happened years ago when…"

"You sure can pound down the sake Ayeka!"

Ayeka and Ryoko had finished off their sixth bottle of Sake, and were **_very_** relaxed.  Ayeka, in a sudden fit of sobriety, remembered why she had gone seeking Ryoko.  The space pirate spoke first, however.

"Ayeka, I envy you sometimes," the cyan haired woman said, no hint of drunkenness in her voice.  "I've seen how relaxed Tenchi is around you, and well, I know he doesn't relax like that around me.  I'm actually kinda jealous," She continued to the stunned princess, "because there's something about you that he doesn't find intimidating or threatening.  There's some days I wish I were more like you, you know…"Ryoko was cut short by Ayeka's laughter.

The princess looked at her rival with a sneer.  _She's Jealous of me?  Hardly!  _"You know its just you he is intimidated by.  Someone as slothful, arrogant, ill mannered, boorish," Ayeka did not notice the tears fall out of her rival's eyes, "aggressive, unrepentant, and whorish as you could not possibly compete with someone as young, elegant, well mannered, reserved and …"

**CRACK!**  

Ayeka reeled from the slap she received from the golden-eyed demoness.  She could see that Ryoko was shaking with fury, tears streaming down her face.

"How **DARE** you?!?!  After all the times I've tried to be nice, after I try opening up to you," Ayeka looked on in fear as anger radiated in waves off of Ryoko, her cyan hair floating like a menacing halo around her head, "and _this _is how you repay me?"

Ayeka gasped at the fury and hurt in her friend's voice.  _Friend?  Since when has she been my friend?_  

The purple haired princess thought back to all of the time she had spent here.  Over and over, she remembered all of the time spent in the Onsen with Ryoko, drinking far into the night; of the times that Ryoko had come out and comforted her by Funaho, and when she had done the same. Her mind flashed back to the incident with Minagi and Yakage, when Ryoko had tried to save the princess.  Ayeka realized after a moment that Ryoko had tried again and again to befriend her; Only Ayeka's foolish pride, and her desire for Tenchi, had blinded her.  

_Oh no!_  Her mind screamed in horror.  Her arrogance and foolishness may have just cost her the closest friend she might ever have.  Ayeka looked up in shame at Ryoko, to find the former pirate turning from her.

"The things I try to do for my family."  Ayeka heard Ryoko say in a growl.  Then she fairly screamed, "No more!  I am through trying to be your friend, princess.  From this point, we **are** the enemies you seem to think we always were."  Ayeka acted out of instinct when she saw Ryoko prepare to leave.  The only thing Ayeka could know, for certain, was that she could not let Ryoko leave.

Just as she was preparing to leave, Ryoko felt a hand on her arm.  She tugged once, but the arm didn't budge.  Then, even through her anger, Ryoko heard what Ayeka was saying.

"I'm Sorry."

Ryoko turned to face the purple haired girl, rage apparent on her face.  "Do you honestly think that's enough?" she growled at the princess.  When she heard what Ayeka said next it shocked her out of her rage.

"Zortomo," Ayeka said in her native tongue.  "Tsunami no Ryoko kendaris Zortomo."  Ryoko watched in amazement as Ayeka let go of her arm.  "**_Lendiara gendris otho Jurai tomon enda kendaris Ryoko_**," Ayeka shouted as she knelt on the floor in front of Ryoko, her palms face up as her arms stretched past her head.

The golden-eyed woman floated there in shock.  Ryoko knew that 'zortomo' meant 'please forgive me my transgressions', but she had never heard of anyone using the term towards an outsider.  _Wait a minute_, she thought.  '_Tsunami no Ryoko kendaris Zortomo' means 'Tsunami please forgive my hideous transgressions against… me,' _Ryoko translated quickly in her head everything Ayeka had just said.  _And 'Lendia… _

"Oh!"  Ryoko exclaimed.  "Kami Sama Ayeka…"  She muttered softly as she floated down to kneel next to the prone form of the princess, the anger drained from her completely.

The former space pirate put her hand on the princess's shoulder.  When Ayeka looked up, Ryoko saw tears on her face.  _So she meant it then,_ Ryoko mused.  _She actually meant it…_The cyan haired woman pulled the pink-eyed princess up to look her in the eyes.  After staring wordlessly for a moment, Ryoko hugged her firmly.  Ayeka hugged back, fresh tears coming out of her eyes.

"You didn't have to do that Ayeka."

"It's the only way you'd listen," Ayeka retorted as she separated from the pirate.  She looked Ryoko in the eye and continued, "So what will you do Ryoko?  I thought you were lying to me just a moment ago when you said you envied me; I am truly sorry.  I should have known better."  Ayeka bowed her head.  

Stammering slightly, Ayeka continued in a subdued voice.  "After everything that's happened since Startica, I truly thought that Tenchi had already picked you," and the pink-eyed young woman heard Ryoko's gasp.  "I think that is why I have been quicker to anger with you lately.  And that is wrong.  I should have realized, like everyone else has, that we are all family."

"You got that right princess," Ryoko said in a warm tone.  Ayeka looked up and shook her head in disapproval.  Ryoko just stuck her tongue out at the princess, and then continued, "First things first.  Let me see if I remember the words right…"  Ryoko's face scrunched up in thought.  "…Ok."

Ryoko started speaking in a solemn voice, with one hand on Ayeka's shoulder.  "**_Lendiara gendris othako Jurai_**…"The purple haired girl opened her mouth to stop the golden eyed beauty, but the space pirate put two fingers over her mouth, "**_enda niparina Ayeka Himesima_**!"  Ryoko finished the last word in a near shout.  

Ayeka bowed her head once more.  "You didn't have to do that, Ryoko."

"Yes I did.  I like royalty about as much as Tenchi and Yosho seem to like it.  It just doesn't suit me."  Ryoko smiled as Ayeka lifted her head.  "Besides," she continued warmly, "it suits you way better."

Ayeka started smiling as well.  "You forgive me then?"  She asked, hope in her quivering voice. 

Ryoko didn't say anything for a few moments.  Ayeka felt fear creep into her.  Maybe Ryoko wasn't as ok with her apology as she appeared.  Then, "Of course."  Ayeka let out a small gasp as she felt her body begin to relax.  Ryoko didn't make a habit of lying if she wasn't trying to keep out of trouble, so the pink-eyed princess figured she wasn't lying now.

"You know, I am still going to fight you for Tenchi," Ayeka said with a smirk.

Ryoko countered with, "And I am gonna keep picking on you for being a spoiled little princess.  What's your point?"

Ayeka walked back over to the pool and filled two saucers with sake.  Sinking back down into the pool, she motioned Ryoko to join her.  Smiling, the Cyan haired daughter of Washu complied and floated over to a spot next to Ayeka.  Gliding into the water, she accepted the proffered saucer.  Ayeka held them up in a toast.

"To friendship?"  The princess asked timidly.

Ryoko shook her head.  "No.  Not just yet, Ayeka.  Give it a little time and we'll see."

Ayeka nodded her head in affirmation.  Raising her saucer again she said, "Then to Peace."

Ryoko titled her head to the side, digesting Ayeka's words.  She smiled after a moment and brought her saucer up to meet her rival's.  

"Yes, to Peace."

Both drained their respective saucers.  Both smiled and looked at each other.  Finally Ryoko broke the silence.  

"Well, what now princess?"  She asked of her formerly bitter rival.

"I suppose we just talk about something then?"

They both looked at each other for a moment.  Almost in unison, they broke out laughing.  Unlike before, both Ryoko and Ayeka's laughs were genuine and warm.  The laughter echoed around the Onsen, filling it with the sounds of mirth and happiness, where there used to be only sadness and heartbreak.

Opening her eyes should not be so difficult.  _Wow, I must really be sleepy._  Finally, the last few moments aboard the Yagami flashed through her mind.  Mihoshi's eyes snapped open and all she saw for a few seconds was green light.  Slowly her eyes adjusted until she could see she was somewhere in Washu's lab.  _I wonder why I'm here?  Washu'll be along any minute now to yell at me I suppose, _and Mihoshi tried to let out a sigh.  It was then she noticed she had been hooked up to some sort of machine.  And that she was floating in some sort of liquid.  Glancing around, she saw the red headed scientist talking with someone.  When she recognized the taller figure, her reaction was immediate.  Mihoshi ripped off the apparatus that was on her mouth and started shouting.

"Damon!"  She screamed as she pounded on the glass cylinder.  "Damon it's me!!"  She immediately started gagging when she got a mouthful of the viscous green liquid.

Washu and the bounty hunter turned to look at the cylinder Mihoshi was in as soon as an alarm went off.  Washu ran to the monitor and began typing at a small pad.  The water immediately cleared.

As soon as the water cleared, Mihoshi felt herself getting drug down a hole that had appeared in the bottom of the tank.  She started to scream as she watched Washu and the tall figure named 'Damon' move further and further away.  

After Mihoshi had disappeared Washu rounded on Victor.  "I knew you weren't telling me something Victor!"  Victor took a step back from the vehemence in the green-eyed scientist's voice.  Victor put his hands up, as if in surrender.

"All right.  All right already.  I'll tell you.  If you hadn't been so eager to learn about Guardian I would have told ye already."  Victor inwardly sighed when Washu took a step back from him and waited expectantly.  "I'll tell ye, but then I had better go and talk to her before Kiyone gets to her.  I can't have my cover blown, not yet."

Washu just snorted, but she listened as Victor answered the diminutive scientist on exactly how he new Kiyone and Mihoshi.  Her eyes widened, and she looked at him in shock.  This was completely unexpected, even by Washu's standards.  

            Instead of asking him to clarify she just pointed when he asked where the exit was.  _This explains a lot of things,_ Washu thought as she sat back down at her computer.  _Well, I understand a little better now what's going on._  She shrugged.  _Unless somebody asks, it's not my business so I'll let it drop._

Checking one of her monitors, she beheld the scene in the Onsen.  _I hope Mihoshi doesn't interrupt anything._

Sasami was almost finished with dinner and had decided to go and get Ryoko and Ayeka from the Onsen.  _I hope they haven't hurt themselves like last time, _she thought sadly.  Then she heard something that made her stop in her tracks.  She heard the sounds of laughter.  Not drunken laughter, like she was used to.  No, her sister and Ryoko were laughing _together_, and not at each other.  Sasami broke into a huge grin and ran quickly into the Onsen.  When she opened the door, she noticed that it DID smell faintly of sake.  However, she also saw Ryoko and Ayeka, apparently talking about, well, _nothing_.  She simply couldn't believe it.  _Sister and Ryoko getting along and just talking? _ The blue haired princess thought to herself. _ I didn't think it would be possible._

            Before the pink-eyed youngster could interrupt the space pirate and her sister, a blue and tan streak came shooting out of a hole in the ceiling.  With a large splash, it was apparent that Mihoshi had recovered sufficiently to be unceremoniously released by Washu.  

            Ryoko and Ayeka stared daggers at the blonde; Apparently Washu had a wicked sense of humor since this was the _second_ time that both of them had been drenched by a falling Galaxy Police Detective.  Shrugging their shoulders, both caught the tinkling laughter of the second youngest resident of the house.  

            Sasami was rolling on the floor near the doorway, laughing hysterically.  Looking at each other, both Ayeka and Ryoko started laughing.  Mihoshi shot out of the water, startling everyone.  

            "I have to get to…Oh!"  She exclaimed as the sapphire-eyed detective finally registered her surroundings.  "Hi every body!  I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to go find Kiyone and tell her the good news."  Mihoshi climbed out of the bath and took a towel from the now recovered Sasami.

            Ryoko looked over at the golden haired officer.  "What good news?"  She asked with a smile.

            Mihoshi did not turn as she ran out of the Onsen.  Instead she shouted out over her shoulder, "That Damon's alive!"  

            "Huh?!?!" all three said in unison.  But Mihoshi was already out of the Onsen.

            Sasami recovered first.  "Oh yeah, I just came to tell you dinner is ready, so come quick ok?"

            "Of course, Sasami."

            "You 'betcha kiddo."

            Still smiling, Sasami left to get the others.

            The door to the lab slammed open.  Tenchi, who had been spending time with his daughter, Mayuka, looked up to see the bounty hunter tear through the household.  In such a hurry was the large, scarred man that he didn't even stop and grab his trench coat and guns from the coat rack.

            "Wonder what's that about?" the young boy, Tenchi, mused aloud.  He looked down at his giggling daughter and smiled.  "Whatever it is, it can't be that important if Victor is still unarmed, can it Noodles."  He tickled his blue haired daughter and laughed as she giggled and squirmed.

            It had been good to spend the last few hours with his daughter.  As Tenchi looked down at his blue haired, orange-eyed daughter, he realized how lucky he truly was.  Mayuka was a beautiful little baby, and he knew she would grow to be a beautiful adult as well.  The young father sighed in contentment.  It had been truly calming to walk with his daughter, to see the simple joy she got out of just _existing_.  Some days he longed for that himself.  But Tenchi knew he could never give up the life he currently had; all of these people, his family, were too important to him.

            Mayuka giggled and grabbed his ear, pulling her brown-eyed father from his thoughts.  He gently pulled her hand from his ear and smiled down at her.  Looking down at his daughter, Tenchi smiled warmly as he realized that, more than anything else in his life, he wanted to be a good father for her.  And then it hit him.  Who would be Mayuka's mother?  There was no clear-cut answer to that.  Tenchi picked up his daughter and headed toward the kitchen.

_I wonder which of the girls would make Mayuka happiest as a mother? _Tenchi asked himself as he walked.  Sighing again, He decided to just not think about it anymore.  Whatever happened, between him and the girls would not change the fact there were six women in his baby's life that filled the role of mother.  Why should he worry about it?  Chuckling a bit to himself, Tenchi got Mayuka into her high chair and sat in sieza, waiting for the others.

            Victor shot out of the Masaki residence and made a beeline for the Onsen.  When he got closer, he noticed someone running directly at him.  Smiling a bit, Victor increased his pace.  The two people closed the distance in moments.  Victor braced himself and held his arms open wide.  The blonde streak that was Mihoshi plowed into him, knocking him to the ground as she wrapped her arms around his body in a fierce hug.  The two held each other for a moment.  When Victor looked down, he could see that Mihoshi was sobbing uncontrollably.  

            "I knew you were Alive, Damon.  I just knew it!" she said excitedly through her tears.  "I thought you were dead for so long, but you're here.  You're really here!"  

            Suddenly she stopped Crying and looked up.  Victor saw an uncharacteristic rage fill Mihoshi's eyes.  He managed to get his hands up just in time as the blue-eyed girl began punching him, her tears still flowing freely.  He let her punch him for a minute, and then gently grabbed her arms.  Mihoshi collapsed against him, shuddering with the force of her sobs.

            "How could you let us think you were dead, Damon?" she asked with a sob.  "Don't you care about either of us at All?"  Victor's heart wrenched as Mihoshi continued.  "We've needed you for the longest time.  I've needed you…"

            Mihoshi felt Victor slide a hand under her chin and lift her head.  Looking her in the eyes, he said in a thick voice.  "Just because you didn't see me doesn't mean I wasn't there, _Hermana_."  Mihoshi saw the pain in his eyes and knew he was telling the truth.  "I wanted to be there, but the two of ye didn't really need me.  The two of you have each other."  Mihoshi's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest.  "Don't try and say no, Mihoshi.  I could tell what was happening, even if both of you couldn't.  It's for the best, really."

            _He knew, _the blonde detective thought.  _Even then he knew, but he didn't try and stop it.  _Mihoshi hugged Victor even tighter.  "I'm so glad to have you back, Damon."  She looked up suddenly.  "Oh!  We have to tell Kiyone!"  Victor sighed tiredly and shook his head negatively.  The bounty hunter stood up, pulling Mihoshi with him.  "What?" she asked in a confused voice.

            "We can't tell her, Mihoshi."  The blonde detectives blue eyes widened in surprise.  "I have too many things hat I need to do first.  I still have to stop _him_," the golden haired detective shivered.  She knew, but wished she didn't, of whom Victor spoke.  "Besides, she needs to know about how you feel anyway.  She needs to sort her feelings out before she deals with any ghosts from the past."  Victor smoothed out Mihoshi's damp hair and smiled.  "Now, it's enough that ye know the truth but do _not _tell Kiyone, understand?"  Mihoshi sniffled a little bit but nodded her head.

            Victor looked down at Mihoshi and smiled.  He bent down and whispered in her ear, "Tell her how ye feel.  After that settles, then we'lltell her, ok?"  The bounty hunter released Mihoshi just as Ayeka, Sasami, and Ryoko came out of the Onsen.  "Now remember, don't tell anyone, ok?"  Mihoshi rubbed her eyes and walked over, with Victor, towards the three ladies.  Victor whispered over his shoulder, so quiet only Mihoshi could hear.

            "Don't forget, _Mi Piqueno Hermana._"

            After everyone had gotten together and headed into the house for dinner, only Kiyone was left outside.  She stood looking out at the stars as she leaned against the house.  _So there's something between Victor and Mihoshi.  _Kiyone kicked at the dirt and frowned.  _So why should I care?  It's not like she's had a boyfriend or anything for a long time._  Kiyone smiled as she looked at the stars.  _Then again, I haven't had one since the academy._  Kiyone frowned.  _Whatever!  It's not like I'm jealous or anything…_  But Kiyone could not shake the thought that she _was_ jealous.  But who was she angry with?  Mihoshi or Victor?  Kiyone sighed and headed into the house.

* * *

**End**, _Chapter the Fourth_


	5. Chapter, the Fifth

            Lets start with the owning thing.  I own Nothing Tenchi Muyo related for purposes of Copyright, save for this story.  All of the characters and settings belong to AIC/Pioneer, and that is good since this is not anywhere near good enough to be canon.

            I don't have too many notes this time around.  Just so everyone remembers, this takes place after the OAV'S **_AND_** Manatsu No Eve.  See you in the Post notes!!

****

**Illusions of Life:**

**_Chapter, the Fifth: Illusions of an Unfettered Parting_**

At the gates of a secluded house, suspiciously near a small shrine, two large logs, each with a round gem near the top of it, abutted the gate leading into the property.  One log had a strange red symbol in its center.  The other had an equally unfamiliar blue symbol.  Other than the pair's oddity, everything appeared normal.  Until the blue decorated log turned to the other log.

            "Today is another beautiful day, isn't it, Kamidake?" the blue log said in a slow, deep voice.

            The other log, apparently named Kamidake, turned to face his fellow.  "Yes it is Azaka, but I fear it is going to rain later today."

            "Oh; that is too bad."

            The pair turned forward and stood in silence for a while.  Finally, Kamidake broke the silence.

            "I wonder why there haven't been any explosions lately.  Are the Princess and Ryoko finally getting along?"

            Before Azaka could answer, both hear raised voices from inside the house.

            "Get off of him this instant, Demon!!"

            "It's only natural for two people so in love to act like this Ayeka…"

            A scream was the only reply.  Both Azaka and Kamidake began to sweat.

            Azaka turned again to his fellow log.  "Well, it appears that the Princess and Ryoko are still not friends."

            "Yes, it would appear so," the red lettered log said sadly.  Its voice was a much higher pitch, and much faster, than Azaka's.  "Maybe it has to do with our new visitor?"

            "Perhaps."

            A loud explosion rocked the area behind them.  Both sighed.

            "Just another day on Planet Earth."

            "Yes."

----------------------

            After the morning had been initiated by a long overdue fight, the house went their separate ways until lunchtime.  Tenchi went to the fields, Kiyone and Mihoshi went patrolling, Ayeka went to tend the garden, Washu returned to the sanctity of her lab, and Ryoko gathered up Mayuka.  The temporary houseguest, Victor Duras, followed Washu into the diminutive scientist's lab.  Victor had mentioned something about fixing his ship as he left the table.  All in all, this could have turned out to be a day not worth writing about.

            And if that were true, then no one would be reading this right now.

            Even though all seemed to be normal on the planet, out in space was a different story.  The two galaxy police officers flew out for their regular patrol.  Everything looked normal, until they got to Mars.  Clearing the planet, the sensors on the GP ship detected the presence of other ships.

            A warning claxon went off, and Kiyone started from her half-awake state.  As she hit a few keys and accessed the sensors, she grumbled to herself, "This is the second time in two days.  I thought this was supposed to be an easy assignment?!?"

            Mihoshi looked over from where she had been reading her manga worriedly.  "Kiyone, what's going on?"

            "It looks like we've got company Mihoshi," Kiyone said to her partner.  Even as she replied, the monitor sprang up with information on the other ship.  "Of course.  It _has to be more pirates."_

            Unlike before, there was only a single ship.  This time, it appeared to be a stolen fighter ship.  Grimacing, Kiyone put the ship on alert and opened a hailing frequency.  She knew it wasn't going to work, but she had to at least try.

            "Unidentified ship, this is the Galaxy Police.  You are in a designated no fly zone and protectorate.  Cut your engines immediately."

            "I don't think they are listening, Kiyone?"

            The teal haired GP turned to her partner with a grin.  "When do they ever.  You ready, Partner?"

            Mihoshi smiled, "You bet Kiyone."

            Maneuvering their ship in an arc, the GP chased the smaller pirate ship into the asteroid belt.  There, the smaller, faster ship had the advantage.  Kiyone was surprised that it did not press the point.  Instead, the pirate ship kept going.

            "Kiyone, he's making a run for it!"

            Nodding, Kiyone grinned, "looks like it.  We'll just have to catch him before he passes the edge of the system."

            As Mihoshi and Kiyone flew out past Saturn after their quarry, a small ship barely larger than an escape pod shot down to the surface of the planet.  Its arrival was noticed by only two people.  Fortunately, the two people that noticed were in a position to deal with this sudden change of events.

----------------------

            A petite red haired scientist shook her head as she stared intently at a view screen.  A grunt from behind her alerted Washu that the other occupant of the lab had seen, and probably recognized, the blip that had shown up on her sensor array.  She grinned slightly as she called up some other remote viewers that captured the ship in better detail.

            "Looks like the GP missed a straggler while they were chasing that other ship," Washu said over her shoulder.  There was no response.

            "So who is it this time Victor?" the diminutive scientist asked of shadow looming behind her.  "Another of your friends, perhaps?"

            Victor grunted in irritation.  "No, it's prolly an infiltration android that is trying to find the location of the pirates we captured the other day."

            "Then why not give it what it wants?"

            "………"

            Washu turned at the silence from Victor.  And began smiling when she saw the incredulous look on Victor's face.  The Priderian bounty hunter's jaw was slack and his eye was wide as a saucer as he tried to recover from his surprise.

            "Well, young pup?"

            "W…W…Washu!!"  Victor sputtered in befuddled amazement.  "How could ye even think of that?!  Ye know that they're dead if we just _let_ that thing find them."

            "I said the give it the **_location_**, not the pirates," Washu chided gleefully.  She was enjoying watching the reactions of the bounty hunter.

            "Wha…..Oh," Victor sputtered weakly.  Disbelief and astonishment were clearly written across his face.

            Washu tilted her head and looked at Victor intently.  _He _**does**_ act like her sometimes.  I can kinda see the resemblance too._

            "Well, is that a yes Victor?"

Finally under control again, Victor coughed to mask his embarrassment at having been completely caught off guard.  He brought a hand to his chin and rubbed it while he thought.  Finally, he began to smile ferally.  He looked over at Washu with a wicked gleam in his eye.

"Got a better idea Little Washu."  Victor pointed to one of her other monitors.  "How about we make the signatures come from here?"  Victor looked over at the green-eyed scientist, grinning as wickedly as Washu had just moments ago.

            Washu saw the location that Victor had selected, and exactly who was headed there.  "You do know that Tenchi will be in training when the Android gets there?"  Washu asked even as she set the plan into motion.

            "I'll be countin' on it."  When Washu raised an eyebrow, Victor shrugged.  "I saw a bit of what he could do yestereve.  

            "When he ran in with meself, the shield bracers I had given 'im should have been fried after about a minute of continuous fire.  Yet I checked his last night and they dinna register a shot!"  Washu's other eyebrow raised at the admiring tone in Victor's voice.  Her eyes narrowed a bit and she began typing a query, mostly to verify what Victor was saying.

            Victor continued, missing Washu's look.  "I dinna know what the kid's secret is, but he shoulda been cut't ribbons."  Victor shook his head in amazement.  "Instead, he cuts through twice as many assassin 'bots as meself.  He even took out two seasoned pirates in one blow each!"

            He continued, just a touch of eagerness in his gravely voice, "I dinna know what they teach people on this 'ere backwater planet, but I wanna see what he can do against a skilled opponent.  This will have to do 'till I can challenge him meself."

-------------------------

            After a hard days work in an increasingly large carrot field, most people would assume that the singular caretaker of the field would be exhausted.  Not so.  Instead, Tenchi Masaki just sighed as he climbed the many, many stairs to his grandfather's shrine.

            _Time for training,_ the young man thought to himself.  _Maybe today I can actually last longer than five minutes._  Tenchi shook his head in resignation, realizing that he probably would not be as good as Katsuhito even if he lived for a hundred more years.

            Scaling the final step before he reached the shrine, Tenchi paused as his instincts took over.  He jumped forward in a tight roll, igniting the Tenchi-ken as he came to his feet.  Tenchi's sudden movement was all that saved him from an energy blade that had been aimed at his neck.  Standing in front of the young man was a thin, humanoid robot made of black metal.  Even as he watched, the machine produced another energy blade, one in both hands.  Holding the Tenchi-ken in one hand, Tenchi moved into an old reliable Jurain fighting stance his grandfather called 'Swaying Branches'.  After a moment, the creature charged.

            Waiting until the last possible moment, Tenchi went through the patterns of Swaying Branches, smoothly and easily avoiding or deflecting both of the machine's blades.  As it rushed past, the young prince followed up his defense with the 'Falling Leaves' technique.  Tenchi swung at the machine with short, powerful overhand strokes, varying from the left to right side of the creature.  To give the robot credit it defended against Tenchi's attacks with ruthless precision.  The robot caught the Tenchi-ken's blade between both of its swords before using its superior strength to push Tenchi across the shrines pathway.

            The robot then pressed its advantage.  Concentrating purely on defense, Tenchi slid his sword over his head and crouched low, the tip of Tenchi-ken's blade appearing in his line of vision and his left hand held out in front of him.  This was the stance Katsuhito called 'The Emperor Kneels'.  The robot was apparently unprepared for such a maneuver and Tenchi found it much easier to defend against the machines superior strength and weapons advantage.

            _So this thing doesn't know _**all**_ of the Jurain fighting techniques,_ Tenchi thought as he parried blow after blow from the creature.  _O.K., time to use the techniques grandfather said only he knows._

            Tenchi blocked a sideways cut aimed as his head with the Tenchi-ken and executed a quick back flip to place him a few feet from the robot.  As soon as he landed, Tenchi threw himself at the robot in the 'Rolling Thunder' technique.  He batted the both of the robots swords first to the left, then to the right.  As the robot attempted to correct its stance from the flurry of blows, Tenchi struck quickly with a horizontal slice that severed the robots right hand.  

Pressing his advantage, the brown-eyed youth moved swiftly into 'Severing the Trunks', one of Katsuhito's most lethal moves.  Rushing straight into the machine's reach Tenchi held his blade, arms extended over his shoulder height and across his left arm to deflect the robots remaining blade.  Pushing the robot's blade away from him, Tenchi followed the momentum of his charge and spun around completely.  As he completed his spin, the brown haired swordsman brought the Tenchi-ken up vertically while gripping it with both hands.  The bluish blade of the Tenchi-ken went straight through the center of the robot, cutting it neatly in half.  

Tenchi continued to rotate and jumped away from the ruined machine just moments before it exploded.  Sighing, Tenchi sat down on the ground and wiped the sweat from his brow.  _Now I see why grandfather had me learning techniques we never used while sparing.  _Tenchi took a few deep breaths to calm him self.  _I guess I have learned a lot more from Sensei than I thought._  

            Tenchi heard the rustle of leaves.  He turned just as his grandfather, dressed in his usual white and gray priest's robes, walked out of his office in the shrine.  As Tenchi watched, Katsuhito surveyed the damage on the grounds and frowned.

            "Tenchi, how many times have I told you not to fight in the vicinity of the Shrine?"

            The young brown haired boy lowered his head.  "I am sorry grandfather.  I was not expecting anything to attack and I did not have time to lead it away from the shrine…"

            "Nonsense Tenchi," the older man said sternly.  "Once you moved into The Emperor Kneels, you should have realized that you outclassed the robot.  You could have led it away then, but you did not."  Tenchi stood and bowed to his grandfather.  "If you wish to be a true swordsman, then you must always be aware of your surroundings.  Now go to the training ground; you have a new exercise today."  Tenchi bowed again as he sighed in resignation.

            "Hai, Sensei."

            Katsuhito watched the young man run off.  Glancing over his shoulder he called out, "You can come out now.  I trust your test of my grandson was conclusive?"

            Victor and Washu walked out from behind one of the buildings in the shrine area.  Both had grins on their faces.  Victor bowed slightly and walked over to the remains of the robot.  Washu walked over to stand next to the Shrine priest.

            "Actually, Lord Katsuhito," Washu began, "it _was_ rather informative.  I dare say that Tenchi may even be a match for my daughter now."

            "Perhaps.  We shall see shortly."

            Washu gaped at the eldest Masaki, her green eyes wide in surprise.  Katsuhito noticed this and grinned slightly.  He nodded.

            "Yes, in a few moments we shall learn _exactly _how much my grandson has managed to learn."

            Before she could reply, Victor called out to Washu and Katsuhito.  Both looked in his direction.

            "I think I found what's left of its CPU Washu.  C'mere, this is actually kinda interesting."

-----------------

            Soft music played in the main room of the Masaki household.  Inside this room the blue haired princess of Jurai, Sasami Jurai, walked around idly dusting.  Occasionally she would pause and make a silly face at a giggling baby who had warm orange eyes.  The baby was alternating between laughing at Sasami and playing with Ryo-Ohki.  As far as Sasami could tell, the day was going very well.  She turned back to dusting the TV.

            The pink-eyed princess turned as she heard the slight hiss of displaced matter.  Sasami was greeted to a slightly scary surprise as she saw Ryoko, clad in her red and black fighting outfit, leaning over and giving Mayuka a kiss on the head.  The young princess looked confusedly at Ryoko as the former pirate stood and turned to her.

            "Oh!  Hi, Sasami."

            Sasami shook her head a bit before answering.  "Hello Ryoko.  Why are you dressed like that?"  The princess relaxed a little bit when Ryoko smiled softly down at her.

            "I am going to go train today, Sasami," Ryoko said to her young friend.  "Please watch Mayuka while I am out, okay?"

            Sasami nodded and Ryoko turned and left.  The princess just shook her head and went back to cleaning.  The last time Ryoko had worn her red and black outfit she, Ayeka, and Tenchi had ended up in the medical wing of Washu's lab for a week.

            "I hope nobody gets hurt this time."

-----------------

            It took only a few moments for Tenchi to reach the small clearing that he and his grandfather trained at.  Much to his surprise, the young swordsman did not see anything new in the training grounds.  It was then hat he noticed the silence.  It was a familiar silence, and it usually entailed a tackle from Ryoko.  Today was no different.  Tenchi heard the rustle of long hair and the faint hiss of Ryoko's teleportation.  Acting quickly, Tenchi vaulted straight up in a back flip.

            And he just narrowly avoided getting sliced by Ryoko's saber as she sped through the area he had occupied.  Though shocked at her actions, he was slightly confused at the surprise registering on her face.  It remained there for a moment before the cyan haired demoness steeled herself and charged at him again.  The two of them began exchanging blows.  After a few moments, Ryoko broke the silence.

            "How did you do that?"  She asked of her brown-eyed opponent.

            "Do what?"

            Ryoko blinked at him.  "Dodge my attack Tenchi.  How'd you do that?"

            "Oh, that," Tenchi said in sudden comprehension.  He continued to deflect her blows by moving with the momentum of Ryoko's attacks in the 'Bending Willows' stance.  "I heard you teleport in, and I heard the rustle of your hair from behind me."  Tenchi altered his footing and sidestepped a quick vertical slice.  He hesitated when her attack left the young man with a clear shot at disarming her, quite literally.

            Ryoko went on the offensive again and neither spoke as she tried to find an opening in Tenchi's defense.  However, the young man had retreated into 'The Emperor Kneels', just like when he had fought the robot earlier.  This worked for a while, when suddenly Ryoko disappeared.

            Reacting swiftly Tenchi threw his arms over his head and swept his sword in an arc behind him, catching Ryoko's blade inches before it grazed his clothing.  Not waiting for her to react, Tenchi spun on one foot and reduced his hold on the Tenchi-ken to one hand while keeping the blades locked.  He brought his other foot out and aimed it at Ryoko's midriff; however she teleported out of the way an instant before the young man would have made contact.

            Tenchi heard a grunt from above him.  As he followed the momentum of his kick Tenchi jumped sideways.  He used his left hand as leverage to finish his somersault while swinging the Tenchi-ken with his right hand to deflect a thrown energy blade.  Landing on his feet, Tenchi set himself in the 'Ironwood Warping' stance, his blade held parallel to his shoulders.  He looked around, but he did not see his opponent.

            "Ryoko, why are you doing this?!?!"  He shouted as he circled warily, trying to hear or see the golden-eyed fighter.  

The cyan haired beauties' voice seemed to come from all around him.  "If you can beat me, Tenchi, then I'll tell you."

            Ryoko's words caused Tenchi to smirk.  "So that's the game, is it?"

"Yep…"

Catching a glimpse of something silvery, Tenchi ran towards it while shifting his stance to the 'Winds as Razors' technique.  He ran to where he thought she was hiding with his blade held out behind him, his left hand held across his body so that he could grasp his sword with two hands when striking.  Hearing movement behind him Tenchi ran directly at a tree and changed his footing so that he could run straight up the tree.  Perching on a tree branch, Tenchi waited.

            Meanwhile, Ryoko had been watching Tenchi, trying to judge if there was a weak point in his technique.  So far, he appeared much, much better than the last time she had seen him fight.  While Yosho may have been her better, Ryoko doubted that Tenchi could be nearly as good as his grandfather.  Unfortunately Tenchi's instincts were proving to be just as sound as the great swordsman that trained him and Ryoko worried that she may have underestimated him.

            Ryoko was jolted from her reverie as Tenchi flew out of a tree next to the one she thought he was hiding in.  With his sword held perpendicular to his left arm, he thrust the blade straight at her.  With a yell that was as much shock as enjoyment the cyan haired beauty parried the blade straight down from her floating form.  Too late she realized her error as Tenchi did a quick flip and tackled her out of the air into a tree.  The brown-eyed youth looked down at her from where he had her pinned.

            "Ready to give in yet?"  Tenchi asked with barely contained laughter in both his eyes and his voice.  

            Laughter welled up in Ryoko's eyes as well and a smile formed on her lips.  She closed her golden eyes and willed herself to the other side of the clearing.

            Tenchi felt the cyan haired vixen phasing away beneath him and dropped out of the tree, spinning as he did so.  As he touched down, he brought the Tenchi-ken up just in time to deflect an attack from Ryoko.  Smiling, Tenchi assumed the 'Ironwood Warping' stance again as he prepared to meet Ryoko's attack.

---------------------------

            Washu sat typing into her holotop as Victor paced restlessly.  The diminutive scientist grinned at the actions of the young man even as she calculated all of the data from the destroyed robot.  

            "Have ye finished yet Little Washu?"  The restless bounty hunter asked.  "I need t'know if Shinrai was really behind this."

"Besides," Victor continued as he kept glancing between two view-screens: One was showing the fight between Tenchi and Ryoko, and the other of the rest of the household preparing for dinner, "We're missing all the fun."  It was obvious that Victor wanted to attend one and observe the other.  

            Washu was enjoying making the young bounty hunter wait, as his impatience did show a familial resemblance to another houseguest.  Then again, it did not appear that whoever had sent the android had sent or was sending anything else at this moment.  _It should be okay for us to all unwind and watch those two children dance,_ Washu mused quietly.  That decided, she turned to Victor and prepared to speak.

            "Well, I am finished with the data Mr. Duras."  Victor looked at her expectantly.  "Your original guess was correct; at the moment though, there is no activity towards the planet, so I can't pinpoint a location just yet."

            "This isn't good though.  After the tussle that Mihoshi and Kiyone got in earlier, somethin's gonna happen soon.  I kin feel it." 

            The diminutive scientist nodded at Victor's assessment.  "Until they actually enter the solar system, my sensors can't pick them up.  We'll have to let them come to us I'm afraid."

            Victor frowned and said, "That's exactly what I'm afraid of, Little Washu."

            With a shrug of her shoulders, she replied, "I'll know the instant they try anything.  So relax, let's go to dinner.  I'll set the TV so we can all watch the two of them."  Washu grinned at the smile on Victor's face.

            The door to the lab chimed softly.  Both occupants turned as Sasami entered the lab.  She looked around and then waved at both of them.

            "Miss Washu, Mr. Victor!  Time for dinner!"

            The red headed scientist waved back.  "We're coming right now Sasami."

---------------------

            The household, except Katsuhito who usually stayed at the shrine, always gathered for dinner.  Mihoshi and Kiyone had returned just after lunch, dejectedly reporting that they had lost the ship after it cleared the solar system.  The youngest princess glanced nervously around the room.  There were two places at the table that remained empty and everyone, not just Sasami, noticed.  Ayeka spoke up first.

            "Excuse me, everyone, but where is Lord Tenchi?  And for that matter," Ayeka added seeing the look on Washu's face, "Where is Ryoko?"  

            Washu was slightly miffed that Ryoko had been seemingly snubbed by Ayeka, but felt mollified by the purple haired princess' recovery.  She grinned manically and turned to the TV.  Calling up her spectral computer, she hit a button and the television flared to life.

            On the large screen was a darkened glade, lit only by moonlight.  There was a silhouette of a spiky haired figure in the center of the glade, standing as if in a trance.  Suddenly a glowing red sword appeared in the figure's hand as the blade intersected a brightly glowing blue blade.  The faces of Tenchi and Ryoko were briefly illuminated as the two came together then moved apart to circle each other.  Everyone, save for Washu and Victor, at the table's eyes grew wide as saucers as the group watched Tenchi and Ryoko.  Sasami turned to Washu, confusion evident on her young, innocent face.

            "Washu, why are Tenchi and Ryoko fighting?  Did one of them do something to hurt the other?"  The child asked of her equal in stature but far older companion.  Washu just smiled at the concerned blue haired princess.

            "No Sasami.  You can blame this on your older brother."

            "W...WHAT!?!?!?!?"  Ayeka screamed at the small form of Washu.  Ayeka was standing and staring at the red headed scientist like Washu had just slapped her.  "Why would Yosho do something like this!?!?  Either of them could get hurt, or killed."

            "Um…Ayeka?"

            The purple haired princess turned on the galaxy police officer that had just spoken to her.  "What Mihoshi?"  She said in a voice that had the undercurrent of barely repressed anger.

            Mihoshi pointed at the screen.  It looked as if she were pointing at Ryoko and Tenchi's faces.  Neither of them looked angry or hurt; in fact, both had genuine smiles on their faces as the fight continued.

            "I think they are having a good time Ayeka," the blonde GP said simply.  Mihoshi turned back to her meal.  "Wow, Teriyaki Beef!!!"

            After staring wordlessly at the two on the screen, Ayeka began to smile.  _So Ryoko, You finally found a way to get Tenchi to relax around you,_ the ruby eyed, purple haired princess thought as she remembered the earlier events in the Onsen.  _Well done, Ryoko.  Have fun my friend._  The princess sat down and resumed her meal.  

            All of the women of the household stopped and stared at the smiling older princess.  Victor looked from one to the other, surprised and confused by the looks of astonishment and amazement on everyone's faces.  He got the distinct impression that he was missing something.  

Ayeka finally looked up and saw everyone staring at her.  "What?  Is there something on my face?"  Ever the proper princess, Ayeka brought a napkin to her mouth and dabbed at her face.

Everyone returned to the meal smiling even as Ayeka looked around, slightly puzzled.  _Oh well,_ the princess with the violet tresses thought to her self.  _I hope Tenchi wins._

            After the meal, almost everyone gathered around the television to watch Tenchi and Ryoko fight.  Ayeka, Washu and Sasami sat together on one couch, Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Victor sat on the other.  Noboyuki begged off after mumbling something about sleep and deadlines.  Everyone watched as the cyan haired girl and the brown haired boy launched themselves across the clearing again and again.  It became apparent that while Ryoko had the edge in strength and mobility, Tenchi had the skill and control to defend him self from her attacks, occasionally taking the offensive himself.  

Everyone gasped as Ryoko powered up a charge and let out a ball of energy straight at Tenchi.  Instead of dodging, Tenchi met the blast with the tip of the Tenchi-ken's blade and the energy diffused harmlessly.  Ayeka, Kiyone, and Victor all began chuckling at the comical expression of surprise on Ryoko's face.  Washu just humphed and grumbled about luck.

            "Washu," Sasami began as she watched the spectacle, "How come Ryoko can't beat Tenchi?  Isn't she a lot stronger than everyone else here?"

            The diminutive scientist looked thoughtful for a few moments ash she struggled to answer Sasami.  She didn't answer immediately because she was just as puzzled as the pink eyed young princess.

            "Lord Tenchi is simply highly skilled, Sasami," Ayeka answered in Washu's place.  "It is only a matter of time before Lord Tenchi defeats Ryoko, so do not worry."  Washu's eyes thinned as the purple haired princess continued to extol Tenchi's strengths.

            "Nonsense, Princess."

            Ayeka spun to look at the bounty hunter, shocked.  "What do you mean?"

            "Its simple, really," Victor answered as he pointed at the two combatants.  "Tenchi might indeed know quite a bit, but he's soft."  He pointed at the screen.

            The young swordsman was moving through a complicated series of strikes and parries.  After just a few strokes, it was clear that he was leading Ryoko through the rest of the pattern.  Victor spoke up again.  "Watch what happens as he finishes this routine."  Everyone watched as Tenchi made two final sword strikes and exposed a potentially fatal hole in Ryoko's defenses.  The opening was there for only a moment, and then the golden-eyed warrior teleported to the other side of the clearing.

            Victor turned to everyone.  "That's what I'm talkin' about.  The lad doesn't have the heart to actually hurt her."  He made eye contact with Washu as he continued.  "Besides, I dinna think Ryoko is givin it her all.  I've seen clips of her in action and she's a lot better than this."

The bounty hunter snorted in disgust.  "I dinna blame him for not doin' it, but he should just run her through."

            Everyone except Washu and Victor gasped when he said this.  Ayeka was the first to recover.  She stood and glared at the bounty hunter, even as he sat there with his arms crossed.  His smugness irritated he princess further until she could contain her self no longer.

            "I'll have none of this!!"  Ayeka shouted at Victor.  "There is no need for that sort of violent suggestion."

            "He can't really hurt her, can he?"

            That brought Ayeka up short.  Ayeka looked questioningly at Washu, who had her head down.  "Miss Washu?"

            Washu mumbled something.

            "I kinna hear ye, Little Washu."

            "I said 'No, he can't', Frell it all!"  Washu screamed at Victor.  Victor bowed slightly to her.

            "I dinna mean ye any offense lady Washu."  Victor stood and walked over to his coat.  Picking up his coat and guns, he headed towards the front door.  He turned back to everyone.

            "This fight is gonna last until both of 'em realize that they are fightin' a pointless battle; unless one of 'em gives in, it'll na'er be over."  So saying, Victor walked outside.

            Mihoshi looked around until she saw Kiyone looking at the front door.  _I want to tell her._  Looking back and seeing the veiled pain on Victor's face, she came to a decision.  _No, I need to tell her.  I should get this done with now. _ Mihoshi turned to her partner.

            "Kiyone, um, Can I talk to you for a minute?"

            The green haired detective looked over at her fellow officer.  "Yeah, sure Mihoshi.  What's up?"

            Mihoshi stood up.  "I mean alone.  Is that ok Kiyone?"

            "Sure.  Let's go for a walk."  Kiyone got up and grabbed her light green trench off of the coat rack.  

Grabbing Mihoshi's black coat, she threw it at her partner.  She saw a strange look in her partner's eyes, but decided not to think about it just yet.  _She probably wants to tell me she likes Victor._  Kiyone felt a large surge of anger towards the one eyed bounty hunter.  _Why should I care about that? _ Kiyone thought as she walked with her partner outside.

            Washu watched the GP leave and hmm'd in thought.  Glancing at the TV, she noticed that Tenchi and her daughter were circling each other and talking.  _This looks like things are going to get _**real**_ interesting around here._

----------------------

            Mihoshi was going over, in her mind, what she wanted to say to her fiery partner.  _What do I do, Oh what do I do?_  The blonde wailed to herself.  Walking beside Kiyone, the two eventually ended up at the dock.  _This has always been our favorite spot.  _Mihoshi looked in her partner's bright blue eyes, nearly glowing in the moonlight.  _I guess it's now or never._

            "What is it you want to talk about Mihoshi?"

            The blonde detective nearly jumped out of her skin when Kiyone spoke to her.  Though Kiyone's voice was little more than a whisper, it sounded like a thunderclap to Mihoshi.  It was no wonder then that the pounding she could hear was actually her blood pumping through her veins.

            "You've been a great friend Kiyone, ever since the Academy.  We've been together so long, it almost feels like we aren't ever gonna be apart, doesn't it?"

            Kiyone smiled a little bit and nodded.

            "I care about you a lot Kiyone.  I mean you _are_ my best friend and all."  Mihoshi blushed and looked down.

            Kiyone smiled again at her friend.  "I care about you to Mihoshi."  Kiyone saw that strange look in Mihoshi's eyes when her friend snapped her head up suddenly; the look was the same look Mihoshi had given her before they walked outside.  "Despite how I act now and then, you're my best friend too."  

Mihoshi's face seemed to droop a little bit as Kiyone talked.  _What has gotten in to her?_

            "Well I…I mean, um…Oh my!"  Mihoshi stammered bringing one hand to her face to cover the slowly darkening blush she had acquired.  "I…oh…this is so embarrassing!  I just wanted to tell you…I mean I wanted you to know…"Mihoshi saw Kiyone sigh a well used sigh over her own blubbering, "I need to say I…"

            Kiyone grit her teeth at her partner's inability to speak.  "Just spit it out Mihoshi!!"  Kiyone gulped when her blue-eyed partner looked her square in the eye.  

            Before the blond could answer, both of the control cubes began flashing angrily.  Kiyone looked down at her and cursed.  Their friend from earlier had returned, and he'd brought friends.  She looked back up at Mihoshi.

            "Can it wait, Mihoshi?  The pirates are back, and we have a job to do."

            Mihoshi blinked a few times, and then nodded.  "Sure thing, Kiyone."  _I'll tell her later, she thought as the two ran back into the house._

-----------------------

            Starlight ducked in and out of the clouds, making the training grounds fade in and out of existence as the two warriors dueled.  As the light alternately highlighted either Tenchi Masaki, heir to the thrown of Jurai, and Ryoko Hakubi, dreaded space pirate, the world faded away for the two young combatants until the only thing that existed was the shadowy light of the stars and each other.

            _I wonder why she is doing this.  The young man named Tenchi thought as he moved through an aggressive high and low attack pattern called the 'Whipping Vines' technique.  __Oh well.  At least I have gotten to see the **real**__ Ryoko today.  He grunted as the force of the cyan haired girl's counterattack forced him back a few paces.  _She's faster and stronger than me, but I think I have a leg up on skill._  _

Tenchi ducked out of the way of Ryoko's attack as the golden-eyed girl clumsily went through the motions of the 'Swaying Branches' attack.  _I guess she never needed to use any kind of technique before.  _He thought as he moved through the natural counter, 'Rushing to the Bloom'.

            The two combatants circled each other as Tenchi though about how the fight had progressed.  _I've seen her fight harder than this, _the brown eyed man thought to him self.  _When we fought Yuzuha, she was a lot stronger and faster than she has been today.  I wonder if she has been holding back._  

Tenchi eyed the cyan haired woman critically.  Finally Ryoko moved in to attack; initially she was almost faster than he could see, but it seemed as if she slowed right before she neared him.  _So I was right!  She _**is** _holding back._  After fending off her attack, Tenchi decided to call out the golden-eyed demoness.  _It's not a true test of skill if one, or both, of us holds back._  Tenchi stopped moving and let Ryoko circle him, turning only to keep her in his line of vision.

            "Hey Ryoko," the young swordsman called out.

            Ryoko paused her circling after she was addressed.  "Yes, Tenchi?"  She asked, drawling out his name seductively, a smile teasing her lips.

            Tenchi noticed, but would not let him self be distracted.  "Why are you holding back Ryoko?  I know you are stronger than this," the young man said to explain his question.

"Aww, don't you want to play with me any more?"  Ryoko said lazily, her grin never fading from her face.  Her golden eyes sparkled in the moonlight, making them glow.  Tenchi gulped, staring at those beautiful eyes as if in a trance. 

 _I hope I don't have to fight her to get her to drop her defenses and act like this…_Tenchi's brown eyes widened as he reigned in his thoughts.  _I…don't have time to think like that._

"It's not that Ryoko," Tenchi began, trying to pick his words carefully.  "I know you are holding back; I think this is a test for you as much as it's a test for me, and neither of us should be taking it easy."  Ryoko sighed, but nodded in agreement.

            Ryoko started floating about half a foot off of the ground.  She looked down for a moment, as if steeling herself.  When next she looked up, the former space pirate's golden eyes held none of the joy and happiness they had earlier; instead they were flat and dead.

            "You ready then, Tenchi?"

            Tenchi nodded and put himself in the 'swaying branches' stance.  Ryoko flew directly at him almost before he could blink.  She flew right into him; when she would have made contact, she just faded away.  Tenchi's brown eyes widened as he realized what had happened.  _She moved so fast she left some sort of residual image!_  He heard a slight rustle mere feet from him.  _Oh Kami Sama!_

            Acting quickly, the young swordsman spun himself and arched into the 'Emperor Kneels' just as the cyan haired female swung her red blade at him.  The force of her strike sent him skidding across the clearing, leaving clear indentations where his feet had not left the ground.  __

_            Oh boy,_ Tenchi thought to him self.  _Am I in trouble now or what…?_

            Tenchi waited patiently in the 'Emperors Kneels' trying to listen for his opponent.  His instincts told him to block to his right and he did so.  Without warning Ryoko appeared right next to him, her sword poised to slash through him.  Throwing his blade to the right at the last instant had saved him from another nasty gash.

            Instead of resting Tenchi let his spirit guide him, jumping backward and swinging his sword back to the left.  A second Ryoko, only fractions of a second slower than the first, had appeared on his other side and attacked him.

            The two Ryoko's double teamed the hapless youth.  Realizing he was greatly outmatched now, Tenchi tried to think of a way to even the odds.  There had to be a way for him to match either their speed or their superior numbers.  As Tenchi furiously battled both cyan haired demonesses, his mind churned with thought.  After nearly getting cut a few times, Tenchi decided to concentrate on defending himself and stop thinking.  That was when he felt it.

            As he parried and jumped around the clearing, Tenchi fought only on instinct, his eyes nearly closed as he felt a tendril of power welling in him.  The calmer he got, the more he relied on his intuition instead of his training, the stronger the feeling became.  And Tenchi had his answer.

            The two Ryoko's disappeared at the same time.  Tenchi stopped, settling himself.  He bent his right arm so that the Tenchi-ken's blade was over his right shoulder and held his left hand out slightly elevated from his shoulder.  A millisecond after doing so the Tenchi-ken blocked one energy blade that was swung at him.  Another blade of crimson energy stopped about five inches away from his left hand, seemingly held by nothing but air.  The Ryoko that owned that energy blade looked at Tenchi in shock as a thin blue beam of energy appeared, intersecting her sword's trajectory.  She looked on in further shock as three green lines appeared on the brown-eyed boy's face.

            Both Ryoko's jumped back as light surrounded the boy's left arm.  The energy coalesced into a shining white blade.  The two Ryoko's faded and only one remained in place of them.  She was clearly pouting as she looked at Tenchi.

            "Hey, no fair!"  The golden-eyed space pirate cried. 

            "I thought I said there shouldn't be any holding back?"

            Ryoko tapped her foot in annoyance.  "I thought you meant me."

            Tenchi laughed and charged at the space pirate.  With the wings giving him added strength and speed, the fight was now more even than ever.  If Tenchi had the skill his grandfather possessed, then Ryoko would have found herself hard pressed to continue.  Luckily for her, even with the wings Tenchi was still only as good as she was.  Therefore, it would come down to whoever made the first mistake.  Tenchi realized this as well as he let both of the Ryoko's (she had summoned her duplicate again to make things more difficult for Tenchi) circle him.  

            As they fought, Tenchi was reminded of a quote.  He started laughing a bit as he saw its application.

            "What are you laughing about Tenchi?"  Ryoko asked of her opponent.  She was enjoying herself again now that it seemed the match would continue.  It had been so long since she had a true battle, and Ryoko found it refreshing to be able to work out the aggression she had been bottling up.

            "Sun Tzu said: 'Being Unconquerable lies with oneself; Being conquerable lies with the enemy'," Tenchi quoted to her as he moved into 'The Emperor Kneels'.

            Ryoko pulled up short in her last charge, confusion in her eyes.  "And just what does that mean?"

            "Well, it…what the?"  Tenchi cried as he dispelled the Tenchi-ken's blade.  The entire clearing was covered in an early blue light.  Tenchi and Ryoko looked at each other, puzzled.

            "What is this Tenchi?  I didn't think your wings could do this?"

            "They can't, I don't think…"

            The light continued to get brighter and brighter.  Then Tenchi felt he first tingles of the energy in it and gasped.  The three green lines on his forehead glowed brightly as the blue light flashed and all was enveloped in white light.

---------------------

            The blue light encompassing the clearing was visible for miles, and was not lost on the newest guest at the Masaki household.  The bounty hunter Victor Duras saw the blue light and began swearing.  He should have seen this coming; he had been hunting his quarry too long not to know his _modis_ _operandia_.  Victor began running at a frenzied pace for the clearing.

            _Please let me be in time_, he thought in a panic as he ran. _ I hope those two are as strong as I've heard._  As Victor ran he clipped a small earpiece to his right ear.  He wrapped the microphone around the same ear and pulled it near his mouth.

            "Guardian, initiate code Tango Seven, over," Victor snarled as he drew both of his stun blades.  "Locate the blue box and the ship controlling it."

            After hearing an affirmative beep from his computer, Victor increased his already breakneck speed.  _I am counting on you, kid.  Don't let me down._

            Another beep from his computer and Victor paused.  He grimaced and put his blades away.  _They're on their own.  I'm gonna make this fucker pay._

            "Guardian, Pick me up and let's get this guy."

            With another beep from his com-unit, and Victor disappeared in a haze of light.  Only to appear back in his ship.  Ssettling into the controls, his ship roared out into space.  He cursed as soon as he past the heliopause.  Throwing his ship into a wide roll, he barely evaded a string of blasts from a small armada of fighters.

            "Shit, shit, shit," he shouted as the hull was wracked by laser fire.  "Dammitall, I didn't think he'd have this many grunts with him."

            As he returned fire, he realized he had one of two choices.  Either find the unit that was attacking the planet, or go after Shinrai.  After a moment's hesitation, he opened a path to the house.  He heard a lot of static from his end.

---------------------

            At the same instant, Washu was just beginning to head back into her lab.  Suddenly, she received a lance of overpowering fear from her link to Ryoko.  She focused her mind out through the link to her cyan haired daughter, but found _nothing_.  Then Washu felt the shockwaves.  The little scientist ran to a window and looked out to see the shining column of light that she knew instantly to be from a GB H664D type hyper weapon.  After all, she had designed it.  But most people just called it a planet destroyer.  Washu felt along the link again, but got nothing from static; it was as is Ryoko no longer existed.  The red haired scientist began screaming.

            "My baby!  No, please no, not again!"  Washu cried in anguish as she fell to her knees, her form shifting and blurring.  When she hit the ground the green-eyed scientist was in her adult form.  Tears were streaming down her face as she cried out, "Ryoko!  Don't leave me again, Please!"

            Mihoshi and Kiyone came running in after hearing Washu's cries.  Both were stunned when they saw the formerly diminutive scientist in her adult form, sobbing uncontrollably.  Kiyone immediately headed toward Washu, pointing Mihoshi towards the Kitchen.

            "Mihoshi, go get Sasami, then call the Onsen and get Ayeka," The green haired detective said as she knelt over Washu's huddled form.

            "Ok Kiyone."

            Kiyone nodded at her partner before turning her attention completely on the anguished figure before her.  Washu looked up at Kiyone, grief heavy in her eyes, when the blue-eyed detective put a hand on the red haired scientist's shoulder.  Kiyone's heart nearly broke when she saw the pain on her friend's face.  

            "It's going to be fine, Washu."  Washu's eyes went wide and she shrugged off Kiyone's hand.

            "No it's not Kiyone.  Don't you get it?"  The scientist continued between sobs, "I can't hear my daughter anymore."  Washu tapped her skull.  "Up here.  That'll only happen if one of us is dead!"

            Kiyone struggled to find the words to help her friend.  Just then Mihoshi came back with the princesses and a sobbing Ryo-Ohki.  

            "Kiyone?"  The blonde began.

            "Yes Mihoshi?"

            "Wasn't that a planet destroyer?"

            Kiyone looked up at her partner.  "Maybe, or something nearly as strong."

            Mihoshi curled a stray lock of hair around one of her fingers.  "Then, Um, why haven't we blown up yet?"

            Everyone looked up at the blonde detective in shock.  This even pulled Washu out of her grief.  She pulled up her holotop and saw a flashing message icon.  Trembling a bit she pressed the acknowledge button.

            "…Wash….Som…….Shield…Boy…Hol…blast…we…fine…Kats…Hurt…Need…Locat…quickly…"  Victor's voice called out while static broke up the transmission.  Ayeka looked at the red headed scientist, anxiety written all over her face.

            "Washu, what did he say?  That sounded like Victor, but I don't understand what he was trying to tell us".

            "I think he said something about grandfather, sister," Sasami said as she grabbed her sisters hand.  "Ayeka, I'm scared."

            "Hold on a sec, princess, and let me filter out all the background noise," Washu chided.  "There's got to be a lot of energy there to interfere with both Guardian's and my own transmission systems."  Washu typed in a few commands and filtered out the radiation.  Everyone nearly leapt for joy when the message was deciphered.

            "Hey Washu!  There's some sort of massive shield.  It looks like the boy is holding back the blast himself.  They're mostly fine, but Katsuhito got hurt.  We need ye to locate the H664D.  Quickly!"

            Washu started crying again, this time in relief.  _Of course!  Tenchi's wings would have closed off the link.  I remember not being able to summon my computer during the Clay incident two years ago.  Must be the same thing._  Washu finally started smiling as she opened up a communication line with Victor.  Everyone else looked on in concern as Washu started typing like mad.

            "Victor, this is Washu, over," she began.  "We got your message."  She turned to everyone else as they huddled around her.

            "Don't worry everyone, between Tenchi, Ryoko, and I we have everything covered."  _I hope…_

            A few more keystrokes and Washu had the information she wanted.  She turned to Kiyone, "Kiyone, here's the location of the ships.  Go get'em."

            Mihoshi and Kiyone nodded as the teal haired GP used her control cube to summon their ship.  In a flash, they were gone.  A moment later, a red ship flashed into existence above the house and flew off into space.

----------------------

            Far in space a free-floating satellite was pouring massive amounts of energy onto the planet.  On a ship only a thousand kilometers away, a man sat watching his displays in growing awe and mounting anger.  He sat in the captain's chair, his blue hair and green eyes menacing in the light reflected from the monitors.

            The blue-haired man was furious.  There should be no way _anything_ should be able to withstand a blast from the satellite.  What was truly infuriating was a _single_ _boy_ was thwarting him.  _So this must be the boy that killed my master, _the armored man thought to him self.  _I see that he is not to be underestimated._  A monitor next to him began blinking.

            Touching the monitor, the conversation between Victor and Washu was displayed in a text format.  "So _she_ is here," he muttered.  _This changes everything.  I can't go up against the bitch or her daughter, let alone the boy, without a plan._  The man slammed his hand down on the armrest of his chair.  _Oh well.  I leave this little toy for them to play with._

            Another monitor displayed the battle in space between his escort and two ships. His eyes narrowed when he recognized Victor's ship.  He noted that the other one was a GP cruiser.  Shinrai snorted in amusement.

            "So he thinks to bring the fight to me, eh?"  He chuckled.  "Not today, I'm afraid.

            He looked at a monitor that showed the boy, the cyan haired girl, and a wounded old man.  _I'll leave him with a parting message though_.  The man laughed to himself as he stood and began shouting orders to his crew.  _There will be a time and a place for revenge.  Now is not the time or the place._

---------------------

            Meanwhile Tenchi had been bearing the brunt of multiple laser blasts for nearly ten minutes.  Katsuhito had stumbled toward them just after the initial blast.  Ryoko was still huddled right next to Tenchi, as if being near him would protect her better than standing a few feet away.

            _We were just starting to have fun,_ the cyan haired pirate thought glumly.  _It's not fair; it's not fair at all._

            "Hey Tenchi, what's…"Ryoko stopped mid-sentence when a hologram appeared.

            The hologram was of a man dressed in ornate gold and black armor.  His left hand was covered in a gauntlet with three serrated blades on it.  He had a red cloak draped over most of his body.  But his facial features were the most striking think about him.

            Dark blue hair, nearly the color of midnight, fell in long waves off of his head.  His eyes had deep purple irises, but the rest of his eyes glowed with a sickly green light.  His mouth was drawn in an unconscious sneer, marring his otherwise handsome face.  He looked over at everyone and began speaking.

            "Well met boy," the man said in a haughty, menacing voice.  "I am Shinrai Gabriel."  He bowed in mock greeting. 

Ryoko glanced at Katsuhito and saw that he was injured.  Then she caught what the man was saying and her blood ran cold.

"I hope you like my present for you boy.  I wonder, how long you can maintain your impressive shield, hmm.  My guess is not that long."  Ryoko saw that Tenchi was indeed beginning to sweat and his knees looked ready to buckle.

            Shinrai spoke again.  "Even if you survive this, make no mistake: I will reclaim my master's possessions as well as my own.  Both the bitch Washu and the creation will be mine again."  Tenchi grit his teeth and tried to push his anger away.  He couldn't afford to lose his calm or the wings would disappear.

            Ryoko was watching Tenchi when she saw his jaw clench and his eyes close.  As Shinrai talked it appeared as if Tenchi was fighting off his anger.  She couldn't tell if he was winning.

            At the same time, the brown-eyed swordsman could feel his control slipping.  Just when he was about to loose it, he felt another pulse of energy.  This pulse was hot, destructive, but it would give him the strength to keep going.  And yet, Tenchi knew that it wasn't good.  He could feel his power starting to grow as his anger mounted.  He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw as he tried to fight it off.

            "And don't worry, boy, I'll let you watch after I take back my masters playthings.  I think all those women there will make an excellent harem, don't you."  

            The young prince of Jurai, and the master of the Wings of the Light Hawk, felt it just before his rage overtook him.  He had just enough time to look over at Ryoko.  He only had control enough to say one thing to her as he felt his rage wash over him.

            "I'm Sorry."

-------------------

            Out in space, Victor grinned as he detected the GP cruiser.  The two were very quickly taking apart the less heavily armed pirates.  He opened a channel to them.

            "Mihoshi, Kiyone.  Can ye read me," he called as the fight continued.

            There was static for a moment before the reply, "We read you Victor," squawked over his speakers.

            "I'm gonna go after the big Bastich in the control ship.  Why don't ye go and take out that giant fargin gun to take the heat of Tenchi."  

            He heard their conformation and nodded.  Turning his comp off, he checked the monitor that was displaying the events on the ground.  Eye widening, he opened up the audio.

            "I'm Sorry."

            Ryoko heard Tenchi's words and saw the pleading in his eyes before they were covered in red.  She backed away in horror as the marks on his face change.  All three marks turned black, and the center mark split in two.  Tenchi starting floating as dark energy sparked around him.

            The shield that was holding off the planet destroyer's beam turned black.  Ryoko and Victor gasped from their respective watching places as a _fourth_ wing of inky blackness sprung into being in front of the young Masaki.  He grasped the blade and it flared briefly before turning into a wide broadsword of shimmering darkness.  Tenchi looked skyward.

            With a grunt and a cry of inarticulate rage, Tenchi threw the fourth wing straight up.  It charged up the beam of energy, dissipating the beam as it did so.

            Out in space, Shinrai ordered his men to back away from the satellite as soon as he saw the shifting in the protective sphere.  _I see that just like all Jurai power even the wings, if that is what they are, can be turned to evil.  Maybe my master was on the right track after all._  He gave the order to leave the system and sat down.  _We shall continue this later…_

            The black energy wing flew up into the Planet destroyer and ripped through the massive machine like it wasn't even there.  The wing continued on its trajectory and destroyed a small moon in Jupiter's orbit.  

Once it was discovered missing, astrologers throughout the earth would begin theorizing why a moon would suddenly explode.

            On the planet, trouble was brewing.  Instead of the wings fading after the threat was past, as they had always done before, the wings remained.  By this time Katsuhito had regained consciousness and was speaking to Ryoko.

            "Now is the true test of Tenchi's spirit," The Shinto priest said as he grimaced in pain.  Ryoko looked over at him shock and worry in her eyes.

            "What do you mean?"

            Katsuhito explained.  "The power of Jurai is just that – Power.  It is neither good nor evil, neither darkness nor light.  It is just power.  Always before has Tenchi drawn on the wings with a calm heart; now he has tapped into the darkness, his anger and rage."  Katsuhito stood slowly.  "And now it is time to see whether he is truly worth of his power."  He began walking over to his grandson.

            Tenchi turned as Katsuhito approached.  A wing appeared and formed into a sword as Tenchi moved to meet his grandfather.  He brought the wing up as if to strike the old man down.  Holding the sword aloft, it appeared as if Tenchi was battling with himself.  Ryoko moved and stood between both men.  Tenchi frowned.

            "Move, Ryoko," the young man said, his voice teeming with rage and hate.  "He deserves to die."

            Ryoko gasped but didn't move.  "Why?"

            "He is the cause of my suffering.  Of your suffering.  If not for him, then I would not have the burdens I do have."

            "So am I a burden then?"  She asked of the entity of rage before her.  She was shocked at his answer.

            "Never, Ryoko.  But if it were not for him, then Ayeka would not care for me as she does and I would not be so conflicted," the young man answered.

            "Conflicted?"

            "The pain I feel every day from forcing myself to ignore…truth tears at my heart, my soul.  And it is his fault, all of it."  Tenchi motioned Ryoko to get out of the way again.  "If not for him then I would not have this accursed power that I neither want nor deserve."

            Ryoko shook her hair, tears pooling up in her eyes.  "But if not for him, Tenchi, then I would still be just a machine and I would never have met you."  She saw a glimmer of light in Tenchi's eyes.  She hoped she was reaching him.  "Please, Tenchi.  Just let it go.  I forgave him for the cave.  Can't you forgive him, since we all came together _because_ of him?"

            Tenchi held the blade aloft for a little bit longer, and then it dissipated.  The aura around him swirled and coalesced until it covered him in its darkness.  He let out a scream of anguish, and the darkness surrounding him roiled off of him like smoke. 

            Tenchi fell to his knees, his eyes cast down to the ground.  When he finally looked up, Ryoko was overjoyed to see Tenchi's kind brown eyes looking back up at her.  Crying tears of joy, Ryoko knelt down next to him and hugged him fiercely.  Tenchi clung to her like she was a lifeline.  After a few moments, the rest of the household had also run out to see what had happened.  Tenchi and Ryoko stood.

            Ryoko immediately found herself wrapped in a crushing embrace by a fully mature Washu.

            "Oh Ryoko," Washu sobbed.  "Oh my baby, I thought I'd lost you."  Ryoko blushed when she saw the amused glances of the princesses.  She just hugged her mother back.

            "I was scared too, mom."

            Ayeka and Sasami had run to Katsuhito.  It was clear that he was hurt.  They looked over at Tenchi, then around the clearing.  Both had felt the power of Jurai twist and become evil.  Katsuhito noted the fear in their eyes and immediately set to reassure them.

            "Worry not, sisters," Katsuhito began.  "Tenchi did not do this to me.  I was watching his and Ryoko's battle and was too close when the blue beam coalesced into a destructive force.  Sadly, I was too far from Funaho to draw upon its power."  Both princesses let out sighs of relief.

            "Now help this old man remain standing, please sister.  I am afraid that this ordeal has taken its toll."

            Tenchi had by now walked over to his grandfather. At the same time, Victor, Kiyone, and Mihoshi appeared from out of their respective ships.  They looked on at the scene quietly.  Bowing deeply, he offered his apologies.

            "Please forgive me Grandfather…I was not aware that I could lose control like that.  I apologize for my harsh words.  I am without honor."

            Katsuhito looked at Tenchi while Victor and Ayeka held him upright.  He bowed his head to his grandson.  "No Tenchi, you are not without honor.  There has only been one other person to lose himself in the darkness of Jurai and then find his way back to the path of the light.  And your power is far greater than his."  

            Katsuhito smiled through his pain.  "No Tenchi, you have proven today that you, and you alone, are able to handle the power that Tsunami has given you."

            After Katsuhito had finished speaking, Washu ordered everyone to head back to the house.  As they were walking, Victor pulled Washu aside.

            "Was that what I think it was Washu?"  Victor caught Washu's glare and amended, "eh, I mean Little Washu.  Was that really the power of Jurai…?"

            She nodded.  "Yep, Tenchi has the same power that most Jurains need tree ships to harness."

            "Oh."

            Everyone walked on in silence.

--------------------

**[Expand; explain consequences, etc.]**

            A few days' later things had settled down.  Everyone, save Katsuhito and Noboyuki (who was at work), was sitting around the table for breakfast.  After the usual small talk, Victor stood up.  Everyone looked at him expectantly.

            "Well everyone, during the battle out in space Shinrai got away just before Tenchi had destroyed the planetary destroyer."  Everyone grimaced a bit and Victor shrugged.  "I have to leave."  There were cries of dismay from everyone.  "I have business to attend to on Jurai, and I have to turn in the pirates."  He looked at both of the princesses.  "I have business at the castle, so if you would like to send any messages home I would be more than glad enough to take them there."  Both Ayeka and Sasami nodded.

            Mihoshi looked distraught.  But why, Victor?"

            "I can't let that madman out on the loose.  Both for what he has done today and what he did in the past, I kina forgive him."  He looked down and said harshly, "I won't forgive'em."

            Tenchi nodded.  "If you think that's best."  The bounty hunter nodded.

            "I'll leave in three hours."

-------------------

            "Victor, I would like to speak with you about something," the first princess of Jurai said as she looked in to the room Victor had been using for the past few days.  She was dressed in her usual pink and purple kimono.

            Victor looked up from where he was packing his duffel.  He motioned the princess to enter the room and he made himself comfortable at the desk in the room.  With everything that had happened, Kiyone had graciously allowed the bounty hunter to use her bedroom while he waited for the repairs to his ship to be completed.  By some unwritten rule, no one had asked questions of why Kiyone would do this, or why she had moved all of her things into Mihoshi's room.

            "Go ahead princess," the one-eyed bounty hunter said after seating himself.  He was vaguely disconcerted when the princess came in and shut the door.  Ayeka walked to the center of the room and turned to face him.

            Ayeka looked the bounty hunter directly in the eye and began, "I would like to know exactly is between you, Mihoshi, and Kiyone."

            Victor's gray eye widened in shock at information Ayeka requested.  _She couldn't know, could she?_  He thought as his mind frantically searched for something to say.

            "I heard what you said to her after Mihoshi had run out of the Onsen a few days ago."  Victor gulped as beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.  "I did not know exactly what you had told her, but I have since discovered what _Hermana_ means in your language, Victor.  I would like an explanation."

            _Shit._  Victor rubbed his eye and looked down.  _I'd better come clean on this.  At least she is dealing with me directly and not handling this in front of everyone._

            "All right, princess.  I'll tell ye."

            As Victor began speaking to Ayeka, the pink-eyed princess gasped in astonishment.  "Mihoshi and I _are related.  Ye figured that much out.  Let's leave it at there is a good reason for us having different last names, Princess._

            "Are you serious?"  The princess asked incredulously.  Victor nodded.  "Well, I never…this explains some things though.  Now how do you know Kiyone?"

            "I used t'be in the academy with both of them.  The three of us were quite the trio," Victor stated, a faraway look in his eyes.

            "We were all good friends, years ago.  Then I made me a mistake that's ended up costin' me nearly everything I hold dear."

            Ayeka had by this time sat on the edge of the bed.  "And what mistake was this?"

            Victor looked over at her, and Ayeka was shocked to see pain in his gray eye.  _This must be something serious if he is getting this worked up._

            "I fell in love," Victor finally said as his voice thickened with his turbulent emotions.  "And for a while, I thought she loved me too."

            Ayeka could only nod her head as Victor spoke.  So much was clearer now that she knew the truth.  "But Kiyone didn't love you back?"  Ayeka asked of the bounty hunter.

            "Yeah.  I reckon she had been since the first year o'Academy.  I knew who she _really wanted, but since she didn't seem to want to admit it….me and Kiyone started seeing each other that summer."  Victor laughed harshly.  "I started t' figure it out when she na'er wanted to spend, erg…um…_quality_ time with me, iffin ye catch me drift."  Victor looked at the blush on Ayeka's face.  _

"I reckon ye do," Victor said with a smile.  Then his smile slipped.

            "Ye aren't gonna tell anyone, are ye princess Ayeka?"

            Ayeka finally got her blush under control.  She shook her head.  "No I won't Victor.  That is between you three."  Victor sighed in relief.

            "Please, tell me more about these younger days.  I am interested to learn more about my friends, and about you."  Victor nodded.

            The two spoke for nearly an hour as Victor told of his, Mihoshi's, and Kiyone's exploits as he packed up his things.  To keep things light, he regaled the princess with many of the funnier moments the trio had back at the academy.  Ayeka told Victor tales of what had happened with Mihoshi and Kiyone since she had met them.  

            "I remember back in sophomore year, Kiyone and I had a project due in Bio Chemistry.  We were working on the compounds that ye would put in an adhesive.  We had just about got it transferred to a gelatinous form, when Mihoshi walked in."  He smiled.  "As per her habits, she couldna help but trip just as she walked by the lab.  Knocked in a random substance, and _boom_!"

            Victor chuckled faintly, "After the explosion, we had t'call the professor.  Y'see, Mihoshi had dropped in the one substance that could cause the glue to expand exponentially."  He paused.  "We all ended up fastened to each other for about three hours while we waited for a medical team."  Both he and Ayeka laughed.  Both talked and laughed until it was time for Victor to go.

-----------------------

_            I don't want to leave,_ Victor thought as he prepared to board his ship.  _I like these people, and Mihoshi and Kiyone are here._  He sighed.  _But I have to warn people about Shinrai.  I'll come back shortly; I **have** to.  _

            Victor waved at everyone as he boarded his ship.  Mihoshi and Kiyone stood next to Sasami and Washu.  The red headed scientist was standing next to Ayeka and a hobbling Katsuhito.  Victor grinned when he noticed Tenchi and Ryoko, with Mayuka in Ryoko's arms, standing a little off from the group.  He grinned and headed inside.

            "Well, Mihoshi, that about wraps that up," Kiyone said to her blonde partner.

            "Oh, he'll be back Kiyone."

            "And how do you know that?"

            Mihoshi turned and started walking back inside with everyone else.  "Because you never abandon family."

            Kiyone stared at the blond for a moment then ran and caught up with her.  Wrapping an arm around her friend's shoulders she tousled the blonde's hair.  She released Mihoshi a moment later and grinned.

            "You make no sense sometimes, partner."  Mihoshi just stood there with her hand on her mouth.  Kiyone smiled.  "Well c'mon, Mihoshi.  Do you want somebody else to get to the karaoke machine first?"  That had the desired effect and Mihoshi ran after her partner, a happy bounce in her step.

            Azaka and Kamidake turned around to face away from the house.

            "It seems today is going to be another beautiful day," The high-pitched Kamidake said.

            Azaka answered in his deep voice, "Yes.  Another beautiful day on planet Earth."

FIN 

            Welcome to the post fic notes everyone.  I AM FINALLY DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Huzzah for me, I am finally finished with the Illusions of Life series.  First, if you think anything is OOC, then please refer to either Tenchi Universe or Shin Tenchi for a glimpse of Kiyone's personality.  Also, when you watch the OAV, then only time Ryoko fights with any sort of technique is when Kagato is controlling her.  About time she learned a little discipline.  [Thanks to some arguing from a few people, I have decided to change my stance on whether Ryoko has any technique.  I am still of the opinion that Tenchi has better technique, but I agree, after watching the series over, that Ryoko has to have some sort of skill if Ayeka is still alive and kicking.  Ah well, I am man enough to admit I was wrong.]  As to the way Ayeka reacted, then please remember that the two of them (Ryoko and Ayeka) _did _sort some things out.  

Also, many, many, many thanks go out to Krin Dreamweaver for his amazing inspiration in naming the techniques that Tenchi and Katsuhito use.  I hope I have done an adequate job carrying on the idea (especially since I _did_ use some of your technique names).  If you object, then email me and tell me to knock it off.  I also need to thank Empress Galaxia; her support has made writing this much easier.  Finally, to my best friend of 16 years and a fellow in writing, Big Joe – Thank you.  His ideas and proofreading are proving invaluable.  

If ye liked this story, go and read K1 Goddess Syndrome, my other fic.  Takes place about a Month after this one.  And stay tuned for a new fic called 'A Startica to Remember' that takes place after K1.  It's gonna take place on Jurai, but it should be good.  I hope ye enjoyed this fic, and drop me a line (by review or email) iffin ye liked it.  I'll keep writing regardless but feedback does indeed help inflate my ego greatly.  As to why it is called "Illusions"?  Well, not everything is as it seems, and _may_ be explained in future works.

Respectfully Yours,

-DREZ


End file.
